2012 Mat Mayhem Tournament Format

By Tammy Tedesco

February 2012 is an exciting month for college wrestling as the first ever regional team dual meet tournament will take place. The NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I National Duals Presented by Hibiclens and The Marines, will be held at Cornell, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Rutgers on the weekend of February 11th.

The ultimate goal of the National Duals (regionals and final), which is coined Mat Mayhem is to create a premier national dual meet championship that will become a platform for growing spectator and media interest in wrestling both at the institutional and national levels.

Out of the twenty-four teams competing in this event, fifteen are ranked in the Top 25 of the NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll. There are seven No. 1 ranked individuals who will be competing, joining the thirty-four wrestlers that are ranked in the Top 50. Sixty-eight of the individuals competing are also ranked in the Top 10 of their weight class.

The tournament format will be wrestled in three rounds on two mats at each facility. Teams will be seeded No. 1 through No. 6 and will wrestle according to their seed.

Each region will have three rounds with the teams being seeded one through six. In the first round, seeds 1 and 2 will receive a bye with seeds 3 and 6 and 4 and 5 wrestling each other. The winners from the first round matches will move into the semifinals for round two against the No. 1 and No. 2 seed. The winners of the semifinal matches will then advance to the final round. At the same time the final round is being wrestled, the first round teams that lost will wrestle their second match.

The winner of each region will move on to compete on February 19th, for the National Championship. The host site for this event will be announced soon.

Below is the breakdown of the twenty-four teams broken down into four regionals (the first team listed is the host team):

- Iowa State, Iowa, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and Northern Iowa.
- Cornell, Central Michigan, Oklahoma, Purdue, Illinois, and American.
- Rutgers, Minnesota, Kent State, Michigan, Missouri, and Cal Poly.
- Oklahoma State, Boise State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Chattanooga.

Rutgers will host their regional on February 11th, while the other three regional tournaments will take place at Cornell, Iowa State and Oklahoma State on February 12th.

All videos and information about Mat Mayhem are listed on the www.nwconline.com homepage, along with the NWCA You Tube, Facebook and Twitter accounts. This will allow all information to easily be shared by one small click of a button.

Ticket and more specific event information are available at http://www.nwcaonline.com/NWCAWebSite/Events/nwcanationalduals/mat-mayhem under the events section.

College Wrestling: Citrus Invitational

Citrus Invitational
Dec. 29-30
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Team Scores
1. Upper Iowa 159
2. Augsburg 149.5
3. Cornell 124.5
4. St. Johns 115.5
5. Mount Union 107.5
6. UNC Pembrook 104
7. Ohio Northern 103
8. John Carroll 89.5
9. LIberty Univ 84.5
10. Colorado Mines 55.5
11. Heidelberg 52
12, NYU 46
13. Ursinus 42.5
14. Case Western 12.5
14. Central Florida 12.5
16. Florida Gulf Coast 6.5

Caravel Academy's Ryan Wolfe wins 2011 Beast of the East title with a 3-2 win

By David A. Willauer-Staff Writer-Bob Carpenter Center-Newark, DE-Caravel Academy's Ryan Wolfe (Career Record of 138-41 and for the 2011-12 15-0) pulled off one of the biggest surprises of his career at the 2011 Beast of the East final were he defeated David Reck of Colonel Forge by a 3-2 score and claimed his title. The first wrestler in Caravel wrestling history to do so. Ryan first got into wrestling in the 8th grade at Caravel then worked hard in the wrestling room by going to open mats, camps and tournaments, after a sophomore year where he placed in the top 6 in his weight class to his junior year where he lost by a 5-2 score to Issiah Meade from Caesar Rodney in last years state final at St. Marks High School is currently in his senior year with Caravel under head coach Mike Welsh and his brother assistant coach Brian Welsh, after winning the 2011 Beast, Ryan has one more goal left is to win the 2012 state wrestling title which will be held at Cape Henlopen High School in the middle of February in Lewes, DE. 

"This the best thing in my life and my achievement that I've worked for all day." "When I first wrestled in the Beast, I took it step by step and don't pay any attention to the seedings, that's how I get the job done." "Throughout the tournament, when I get nervous, I run around with my teammates so I can get my heart rate up in these long meets people tell me I can't go 100 percent but my job is going hard for 6 hard minutes which calms me down and to stick with my game plan, my goal was winning my matches and that is what I have worked hard for."

Toledo Joins The Beat The Streets USA Program

Becoming the 12th City since 2009

Beat the Streets-TOLEDO began as a merger between the Beat The Streets USA Wrestling Program (www.btsusa.org), Toledo's Institute for Building Careers (I.B.C.), a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization, and Toledo Public Schools. The mission of the partnership is to empower youth in the greater Toledo area to succeed in life.

As a team, we are offering free athletic training, tutoring, vocational training, and life skills coaching/guidance for young people in the community ages 8-20. We offer different sports for both boys and girls, as well as a variety of activities for those not interested in competitive sports, but who want to be physically active and part of a winning team.

Every Monday and Wednesday, our members travel to the University of Toledo to receive on campus tutoring from UT honor students and faculty. To learn more about our program offerings go to http://www.beatthestreetstoledo.org/BTS_TOLEDO_WRESTLING.php

We are bringing Beat The Streets to Toledo for many reasons. Toledo Public Schools is the 4th largest public school system in Ohio with over 30,000 students. Recently, many of their programs have been cut, leaving these 30,000 students with no options to take part in athletic activities that have become part of who they are, and a possible ticket to college. That is where Beat The Streets comes in. We are offering many of the sports and activities that have been cut in our area.

Toledo is the 8th poorest city in the nation, with an unemployment rate of 10% and a crime rate that is 1.72 times the national average. Gangs are a big part of this crime rate with an estimated 37 established gangs in Toledo with more than 3,000 members. Beat The Streets Toledo is going to offer these teens alternatives to this dangerous lifestyle. Surveys suggest 93% of Toledo's 7-12th graders have used tobacco, alcohol and/or marijuana at least once.

We offer our students the guidance, knowledge, role models and opportunities to avoid this dangerous path and become champions in life. We help them acquire marketable skills through our various program offerings so when they leave the program, they can have a resume and valuable training in employable skills that will benefit their future success.

At Beat The Streets Toledo, sports and activities come second to education. If you don't have the grades, you do not participate until you do. It is that simple. We provide tutoring and all of the individual help each student needs to become academically successful. We also bring in nationally-recognized talent to coach, teach and mentor them.

Beat The Streets Toledo is also proud to announce the Steven Scott Everhart Scholarship Award to be awarded to one Beat The Streets student each year.

We truly are a one-of-a-kind organization with one goal in sight; Empower youth in the Greater Toledo area to succeed in life.

There will be a live Press Conference with a local TV Station held on Thursday-Dec. 15 at 10:00am announcing the Partnership with the Superintendent of the Toledo Public Schools and then on a local sports show later in the afternoon.

The morning conference will include all local media, newspapers, and TV along with Chairman Al Bevilacqua of the Beat the Streets USA Program.

"We are very excited that the IBC has partnered with us to help kids in the Toledo public schools. Toledo has a long history with wrestling having created the FILA International World Cup of Wrestling that began in the late 1960's under the leadership of the late Joe Scalzo.  I coached the 1985 World Cup with Joe Seay (former Oklahoma State Head Coach) that was held at the University of Toledo."

You can play an important role in the lives of at-risk youth through your gift of time, talent or treasure. Toledo's future depends on the success these and other young people are able to make of their lives. They are our future, and they depend on the generosity of people like you.

If you would like to donate, join, volunteer or just get more information please contact Matt Moos at 419-244-8955 or MattMoos@BeatTheStreetsToledo.org .

Tallahassee Joins The Beat The Streets USA Program

Becoming the 11th City since 2009

Beat the Streets-Tallahassee is designed to address local issues while assisting state wide and national initiatives by promoting the sport of wrestling along with all of its possible benefits within Tallahassee and all of it surrounding areas.

Two areas the national program have identified to help kids through wrestling is Obesity in today's young people.

The first local issue that we will address is violent crimes. According to Forbes magazine and the FBI's uniform crime report for 2010; Tallahassee is ranked #1 in the state of Florida and #8 in the nation for violent crimes.

Beat the Street -Tallahassee plans to reduce this by giving individuals who have or have the potential to commit violent crimes a positive alternative to release those aggressive energies. Aggression is something people are born with naturally. Some people are blessed with more aggression than others.

In modern society there are very limited pathways that an aggressive individual can take. Most aggressive behavior is frown upon because it is viewed as inappropriate. Often time aggressive behavior leads to trouble even arrest. Statistics show that assault and battery are the 2nd most likely crimes committed by juveniles in Leon County over the past 5 years.

Wrestling creates an opportunity for aggressive youth that can lead to self-control, success, rewards, and even the Olympics.

Beat the Streets -Tallahassee will also aid the national initiative to fight childhood obesity. Currently wrestling is the only sport that requires body fat testing. http://www.childobesity180.org/?page_id=97

This will give wrestling an advantage over most other programs that combat obesity because wrestling has had an optimal weight calculator already in place for years. Most wrestling coaches are familiar with keeping track of body fat percentages and healthy ways to reduce body fat. Almost every wrestling team has a scale handy. With the given history and track record that wrestling has with reducing body fat it seems natural that wrestling will lead the way in effort to battle this growing epidemic.

BJ Fletcher is the Executive Director of the program.

For more information go to: www.btsusa.org One Million Wrestlers by 2016!

Asics Signs World Champion Freestyle Wrestler Jordan Burroughs

ASICS America is pleased to announce the signing of American World Champion freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs. Most recently, Burroughs earned Gold at the 2011 Pan America Games in Guadalajara, Mexico at 74 kilograms (163 pounds).

Burroughs, 23, has been on a winning streak as of late, with five consecutive wins including the 2011 World Wrestling Championships in Instanbul, Turkey in September and US World Team Trials in Oklahoma City in June. He is the first World Champion to make the United States World Team since 2006.

Originally from Camden, NJ, Burroughs began to excel in wrestling while at Winslow Township High School. He went on to wrestle for the University of Nebraska where he continued to build momentum, earning three NCAA Big 12 Titles (2008, 2009, 2011) and two NCAA National Championships (2009, 2011).

Burroughs‚ next big challenge will be the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City at the end of April 2012 where he hopes to garner a spot at the 2012 London Games.

"We are honored to add Jordan to our exceptional roster of ASICS athletes," says ASICS Vice President of Marketing Erik Forsell. "He is young, dynamic and hungry for success. As a role model for younger wrestlers and an ambassador for the sport of wrestling, we expect Jordan to have a bright future."

Burroughs joins 2004 Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler Cael Sanderson on the ASICS team. Sanderson, who recently returned from retirement to win the US World Team Trials at 84 kg (185 lbs), was undefeated (159-0) during four years of collegiate wrestling at Iowa State University. He will also vie for a spot in the 2012 London Games.

Additional ASICS wrestlers include: Jake Herbert (84 kg/185 lbs), Jake Varner (96 kg/211.5 lbs), Tervel Dlagnev (120 kg/264.5 lbs) and Helen Maroulis (55 kg/121 lbs).

Freestyle Team USA'S Open Practice On Nov. 15

WRESTLING FANS AND MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA ARE INVITED TO FREESTYLE

TEAM USA'S OPEN PRACTICE ON NOV. 15 TO WATCH OLYMPIC HOPEFULS AND WORLD CHAMPION MEDALISTS TRAIN

WHEN: TUESDAY, NOV. 15. 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS AT 12:30) AND AGAIN FROM 5:30 TO 7:30 P.M.

WHERE: THE EDGE SCHOOL OF WRESTLING, 417 NEWARK STREET, HOBOKEN, NJ. SECOND FLOOR (ABOVE HOBOKEN CAR WASH).

WHAT: OPEN PRACTICE AND SPECIAL YOUTH CLINIC. A CHANCE TO OBSERVE AND LEARN FROM SOME OF THE TOP WRESTLING ATHLETES IN THE WORLD WHILE THEY TRAIN. INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES WITH OLYMPIC HOPEFULS AND WORLD CHAMPION MEDALISTS FOR THE MEDIA.

WHO: TEAM USA FREESTYLE COACH ZEKE JONES, TOP FREESTYLE COACHES BOBBY DOUGLAS, ANDY HROVAT AND DAVE ESPOSITO. 2011 WORLD CHAMPION AND NEW JERSEY NATIVE JORDAN BURROUGHS, 2009 WORLD SILVER MEDALIST JAKE HERBERT, 2011 WORLD BRONZE MEDALIST JAKE VARNER, 2009 WORLD BRONZE MEDALIST TERVEL DLAGNEV, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE RUSSIAN AND MONGOLIAN NATIONAL TEAMS.

Freestyle Team USA will host a practice that is open to the media and to the general public this Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Edge School of Wrestling in Hoboken, NJ. An earlier practice from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will also be open to the media, with interviews available immediately following the practice at 12:30 p.m.

Members of the media are welcome to come observe the practice and interview some of the 25 top Olympic wrestling hopefuls as they train with former World Championship medalists and guests from the Russian and Mongolian National Teams. 2011 World Champion Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs, a Sicklerville, NJ native, will be one of many World Champion medalists who will attend the practice and who will be available to the media. The practice is part of a training camp that runs all week: Nov. 14 through Nov. 19.

"This is our second most important training camp each year, behind the camp prior to the World Championships," said National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones. "We break down the World Championships and study the trends throughout the world. We update our techniques and tactics in the program based upon this camp. It is big for us. It has helped us to improve. We don't just practice. We go to the classroom and study."

The training camp will conclude with a special youth wrestling clinic and fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. where young wrestlers can learn from some of the world's best wrestling athletes. The cost of the clinic is $40 and athletes can register by contacting Dave Esposito at 201-963-4060.

The Edge is located at 417 Newark Street on the second level, above the Hoboken Car Wash, with the entrance located on Newark Street between Grand and Adams Streets. The Edge is a short walk from the Hoboken Train Terminal/Path Station and is on the NJ Transit 87 Bus Route. There is a pay parking lot at 77 Park.

For more information, visit www.edgehoboken.com. YOUR COVERAGE IS INVITED.

News - Les Sigman is back and adds tremendous depth to the Heavyweight Division...it will all be settled in April in Iowa city

SURREY, B.C., Canada - Les Sigman (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) was the big winner at the Hargobind International on Saturday.

Sigman won gold medal at the 120 kg/264.5 lbs. division, then won additional prize money in the big challenge match to cap the evening.

In the finals at 120 kg, Sigman defeated Sunny Dhinsa of Canada, 1-0, 7-0 to earn $2,000.

In the special challenge match between the champions at 96 kg and 120 kg, Sigman beat Canada's top 96 kg competitor Khetag Pliev 3-2, 1-0, to claim an additional $5,000 bonus. He was declared grand wrestling champion for the event and given a giant golden scepter.

This is the second time that Sigman has been the grand champion at the Hargobind International, after winning both the 120 kg and Challenge Match in 2009.

Two other U.S. wrestlers won gold medals on Saturday night, Andrew Howe (Cedar Lake, Ind./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. in men's freestyle and Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Howe won his weight class with a victory over Matt Gentry of Canada in the finals, 1-0, 2-0. It was a battle of past NCAA champions with Howe winning his for Wisconsin and Gentry for Stanford. Howe is taking an Olympic redshirt this year and training in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Howe was defeated in one of the Challenge Matches at the event, losing to 66 kg champion Haislan Garcia of Canada in three periods. Garcia won the first period from the clinch, 1-0. Howe scored a takedown in the second period to win 1-0. The third period went to Garcia on the clinch, 1-0.

The rules were changed in these matches, with no points scored on a pushout, and clinches going the full 30 seconds.

The other U.S. champion at the Hargobind International was 2011 World bronze Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC), who pinned Leah Callahan of Canada in the finals at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., in 42 seconds of the first period.

The women's finals of the four Olympic weight classes were contested on Saturday. alongside the men's freestyle finals. The rest of the women's event was completed on Friday.

The U.S. had three silver medalists on Saturday:

* Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs.
* James Yonushonis, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.
* Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.

Hazewinkel, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, was defeated in the gold-medal finals by Vinod Kumar of India, 0-1, 0-4.

Yonushonis was defeated in the finals by Yadav of India, 0-4, 0-3.

Anthony, a two-time Junior World champion, was beaten in the finals by Ashley McKilligan of Canada, 5-5, 0-1.

Complete results for all U.S. wrestlers will be posted when available.

HARGOBIND INTERNATIONAL
At Surrey, Canada, Nov. 5

55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd

74 kg/163 lbs. - Andrew Howe, Cedar Lake, Ind. (New York AC), 1st

84 kg/185 lbs. - James Yonushonis, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC), 2nd

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Les Sigman, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 1st

48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC), 2nd

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn., (Gator WC), 1st

CHALLENGE MATCHES

120 kg vs. 96 kg - Les Sigman (USA) dec. Khetag Pliev (Canada), 3-2, 1-0

66 kg vs. 74 kg - Haislan Garcia (Canada) dec. Andrew Howe (USA), 1-0, 0-1, 1-0

Wrestling News - USA vs Mongolia

U.S. men and women to face Mongolia in dual meet in Brooklyn, N.Y., Nov. 10

National Team Coach Zeke Jones will conduct a practice for Beat the Streets Junior Olympic Athletes

grades 6 through High School at Grand Street Campus

NEW YORK, New York (November 3, 2011) - Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. announces that it will sponsor an International Dual Meet featuring National Team Members from the United States against National Team Members from Mongolia.

The match will take place on Thursday, November 10th, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at Grand Street Campus High School in Brooklyn.

"This is an exceptional opportunity for us to host such a high-level event at one of our marquee programs," said Beat the Streets Board Chairman Michael Novogratz. "Not only will our kids be able to see international-caliber competition up close, but they have an opportunity to learn from the Olympic team coach, Zeke Jones. We're excited about it."

Shortly after the 2003 World Championships were successfully held in New York City -- in the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden -- Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc, began enacting a bold initiative to expand wrestling in the Metropolitan area.

The mission to expand wrestling from Youth through the Olympics is carried out by linking a grassroots, school-based program, beginning at the middle and high school level, with inspiration and perspiration; by building up and encouraging the student-athletes, helping them progress into college and ultimately onto the national- and world-class stage.

Premiere wrestling showcase events have helped spread the message and draw attention to our fine sport. What began on the deck of the USS Intrepid in 2010, and was followed by the world-acclaimed 2011 USA vs. Russia Dual in Times Square, is now continued by hosting a national team from Mongolia at one of our own schools.

We are bringing them into our school community, into our largest borough with its 2.5 million residents, to meet the kids of our Beat the Streets Wrestling Program.

The New York City public school system is an Olympic-class melting pot unto itself, with every culture being represented among its 1.1 million students. In fact, it's likely that the Mongolians will meet some of their former countrymen here.

"Beat the Streets has a history of putting on really top-notch events and we're very happy to be working with them again on this one," Jones said.

"It's always a special opportunity when you can bring a team from halfway around the world and set up a competition in the middle of Brooklyn. That doesn't happen too often," said Mitch Hull, USA Wrestling Director of National Teams.

Competition will be held in both men's and women's freestyle, styles which are contested at the Olympic Games.

The U.S. men's team features two past U.S. World Team members, as well as two athletes who have won U.S. Open national titles.

2011 U.S. World Team member Reese Humphrey (NYAC), will be joined by 2010 World Team member Brent Metcalf (NYAC), as well as Andrew Howe (NYAC) and Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids).

The U.S. women's team will feature two past World Champions in Clarissa Chun and Iris Smith. 2011 Pan American Games champion Helen Maroulis (NYAC) was fifth at the 2011 World Championships this year and has won three career Junior World medals.

The Mongolian team will also be very talented and experienced.

The women's team will feature 2009 World silver medalist Burmaa Ochirbat at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. and 2009 World bronze medalist Odonchimeg Badrakh at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., plus 2010 Junior World silver medalist Davaasuren Bayarmagnai at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. The men's team will include two members of its 2011 World Team, Mandakhnaran Ganzorig at 60 kg/132 lbs and Unurbat Purevjav at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Admission is only $5.00 at the door.

Grand Street Campus High School is located at the corner of Grand Street and Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn and is easily accessible from the "L" Subway Line. Log on: <http://www.beat-the-streets.org>www.beat-the-streets.org for more information.

Mat Mayhem Coming this February

The 2011-12 wrestling season will showcase an exciting new format for the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I National Dual Meet Championships that will feature four regional locations and a culminating "final four" championship. This concept, being dubbed "Mat Mayhem," will include a variety of new exciting marketing content that will be released throughout the year.
The ultimate goal of Mat Mayhem is to create a premier national dual meet championship that will become a platform for growing spectator and media interest in wrestling both at the institutional and national levels.

The NWCA will unveil numerous interviews and promotional videos with competing coaches, sponsors, and staff in the months and weeks leading up to the event. This marketing effort is a collaborative effort between the NWCA and Dr. Coyte Cooper with Elite Level Sport Marketing, to help bring the excitement of competition to the sport of wrestling that will be centered on team competition.

"The Mat Mayhem concept has tremendous potential to significantly grow the intercollegiate wrestling spectator base at the institutional, regional, and national levels.  When you think of every mainstream media/spectator sport in America, they all have one thing in common….the outcome of every regular season game/competition carries a lot of significance because they determine advancement to some type of post season championship.   Conversely, in intercollegiate wrestling, our infrastructure is currently designed to support an individual championship at the end of the year so there is very little importance placed on the outcome of most regular season dual meet competitions. Without the success of the Mat Mayhem concept, it is unlikely that we'll have more than eleven (of our 78) intercollegiate wrestling teams with an average spectator base of more than 1000 (which is what we currently have). For Mat Mayhem to succeed, we are going to need everyone's support including fans, media, and participating teams," said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the NWCA.

This year 22 of the top 25 teams from last year's final coaches poll ranking have accepted invitations including eight of the top ten teams.

The top twenty-four teams for the 2012 event have been selected and placed into four regions of six teams (the first team listed is the host team):

- Iowa State, Iowa, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and Northern Iowa.

- Cornell, Central Michigan, Oklahoma, Purdue, Illinois, and American.

- Rutgers, Minnesota, Kent State, Michigan, Missouri, and Cal Poly.

- Oklahoma State, Boise State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Rutgers will host their regional on February 11th, while the other three regional tournaments will take place at Cornell, Iowa State and Oklahoma State on February 12th.

All videos and information for Mat Mayhem will be listed on the www.nwconline.com homepage, along with the NWCA You Tube, Facebook and Twitter accounts. This will allow all information to easily be shared by one small click of a button.

Ticket and more specific event information (dates, times, etc.) will be available at <http://www.nwcaonline.com/>www.nwcaonline.com under the events section.

It Finally Defies the MYTH ............

"He is the first U.S. men's freestyle world champion since 2006, and the first to win an NCAA title and a world title the same year since 1999.

The switch from folkstyle to freestyle did not affect Burroughs like it has many other wrestlers making that difficult change after college.

"It was a tough adjustment at first because I was a folkstyle wrestler for so long," said Burroughs.

"I have a confidence when I step on the mat. I expect to win. A takedown is a takedown in either style.
I wrestle hard and aggressiveness wins. That is what I had to do to win."

Jordan Burroughs, in an most recent interview with Gary Abbott, may have finally put the rest the "myth" that America must change all of its wrestling to the international styles if we want to compete on the World Stage. When he jumped on the mat in Instanbul with his head high we all knew he was going to win. Basic skills win on every level of wrestling.

"Funk" is entertaining but it hardly wins at the world level. Learn and drill the basics and be a "tough" guy!

It would be like Dana White of the MMA saying that we should change folkstyle wrestling to MMA so kids have a chance to earn a living.

In less than 30 words he succinctly debunked the myth.

Schoolboy, College, Judo, Sambo, Karate, MMA, and every other combative sport there is all begin on the "feet".

Wrestling is not a game, has no ball, glove or bat. It is a natural sport that matches equal opponents with just their own decisions and natural ability to compete in a 30' circle and win.

Simply learn to takedown your opponent , be aggressive and keep pushing until you hear a whistle. End of story!

National Wrestling Hall of Fame Wrestler - Pat Milkovich is now the Head Coach for the Florida Gulf Coast University's NCWA Wrestling Team.

9/20/2011

National Wrestling Hall of Fame Wrestler,  2X NCAA Champion, College Coach, and State Champion High School Coach from Ohio - Pat Milkovich is now the Head Coach for the Florida Gulf Coast University's NCWA Wrestling Team.

See Pat Milkovich's Bio from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame - http://www.weberadvertising.com/clientwebsiteProof/whof/bio.php?id=324
Distinguished Member Class Of 2000

See - http://www.wrestlingusa.com/02%20wusa%20web%20root/allmajorpages/castyourvote.html

Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network Holds First Gathering

Over 200 business leaders with wrestling ties came together on September 22 at the inaugural meeting of the Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network (GWWBN). The event which was sponsored by the Meltzer Benefit Group was held at the Tower Club in Tyson's Corner, Virginia.

The event also attracted the current college coaches from American, Maryland, George Mason, Minnesota and Virginia Tech along with several top high school coaches from Virginia and Maryland.

GWWBN is a non-profit group formed to mobilize the wrestling community for business, social and personal purposes in a proactive fashion to support and prosper.

The group did just that with the theme of the evening being to completely engage the business community to support wrestling, while showing the economic impact that these former wrestlers who are now leaders have. The goal is to mobilize the group to not only support each other in business but to also give back to the sport.

Congressman Jim Jordan a two-time NCAA Champion and NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer were the evening's guest speakers.

Congressman Jordan spoke on the fact that our country, more than ever, needs the core values developed through wrestling (commitment, perseverance, self reliance, integrity, honor, discipline).  He also stated that discipline is doing what you do not want to do when you do not want to do it.

NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer pointed out that, the sustainability of our youth, high school and intercollegiate programs are reliant on the support of the community around them.

"On behalf of the founding members of the Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network, I want to thank everyone for making this inaugural event a huge success. It was very encouraging to see so many wrestling alumni in very high leadership positions come out to support the event. This will undoubtedly provide us with the necessary momentum to significantly grow the GWWBN membership and spread wrestling's influence throughout the region," said founder John Licata.

In addition GWWBN held a youth wrestling clinic over the weekend to help give back to the local youth programs, the local colleges played a vital role in this endeavor. The attendance at the clinic shows that they have found their niche in the area with 350 youth wrestlers in attendance, which was put together by board member Wade Schalles.

The founding Board Members of the GWWBN are Darran Anthony, Eric Brugel, Keith Burgess, Kevin Colabucci, Derek Donahue, Michael Lerner, John Licata, Alan Meltzer, Wade Schalles, and Dan Wotring.

The next event to be sponsored by the GWWBN will be held in January, for more information visit their website <http://www.gwwbn.org/gwwbn/>http://www.gwwbn.org/gwwbn/ or join the Facebook page.

Rulon Gardner headlines Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum will honor Rulon Gardner as this year's inductee into the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 1, 2011, at the Christensen Center Commons on the campus of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn.

Gardner is the most successful Greco-Roman wrestler in American history. He did the unthinkable at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia when he defeated 12-time World and Olympic champion Alexander Karelin from Russia in the finals. Gardner won a World title in 2001 and was a bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympics.

"This is something really special," Gardner mentioned. "To be honored you have to be willing to put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into Greco-Roman wrestling. I'm just a simple person who wanted to be great and was committed and willing to do the hard work."

Gardner carried the American flag in the closing ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics, an honor reserved for the biggest star of the Games.

Gardner joins the Class of 2009 in this elite hall. The inaugural class included Olympic champions Steve Fraser and Jeff Blatnick, and World champions Mike Houck, Dennis Hall and Joe Warren.

Alan and Gloria Rice, namesakes of the hall of champions, have been instrumental to the advancement of Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. Alan Rice was a Big Ten champion and an All-American for the University of Minnesota. He placed fifth at the 1956 Olympics and coached the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic team. The hall is located in the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.

The Jim and Olive Morgan family will receive the Greco-Roman Legacy Award for their accomplishments in the Greco-Roman discipline. John, Gordy and Marty Morgan won a combined 10 national Greco-Roman titles and competed in two Olympics and nine World championships.

Head coach Jim Jackson and his Apple Valley High School team will also be recognized. Apple Valley was the best high school team in the nation the past two seasons.

The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7:00 and an awards ceremony at 8:00.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at 

www.dgm-nwhof.ticketleap.com or by calling the 

Dan Gable Museum at 319-233-0745.

Sanderson Takes Fifth and Varner Captures Bronze at 2011 World Wrestling Championships in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Jake Varner has made huge gains in his wrestling since his first trip to the World Championships in 2009.

That was clearly apparent at the 2011 World Championships on Saturday night at the Sinan Erdem Dome.

The bigger, stronger and much-improved Varner capped a superb day by delivering the winning move late in the match to capture a bronze medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Varner's mentor and close friend, 2004 Olympic champion Cael Sanderson, fell just short of a medal after placing fifth at 84 kg/185 lbs.

Varner knocked off Taimuraz Tigiyev of Kazakhstan 0-3, 3-2, 2-1 in the bronze-medal match at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Varner countered a Tigiyev shot late in the third and exposed his back to the mat for two points en route to earning the clutch victory.

"I knew I had to keep attacking obviously to win the match," Varner said. "I knew he would get tired and I just kept wrestling hard. I was upset when I lost today, but I knew I had to go back out there tonight like I was wrestling for the gold."

Tigiyev beat Olympic and World champion Khadismourad Gatsalov of Russia earlier in this tournament. Tigiyev won an Olympic silver medal in 2008.

Varner reached the quarterfinals before falling to Turkey's Serhat Balci 1-0, 1-0 before a boisterous Turkish crowd at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Balci advanced to the finals to pull Varner back in for the repechage. Balci fell to Iran's Reza Yazdani in the finals at 96 kilos.

Varner took advantage of his opportunity, pinning Rustam Iskandari of Tajikistan in 1 minute, 50 seconds in the repechage to advance to the bronze-medal match.

The 25-year-old Varner reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Worlds before finishing ninth in his first trip to this event. Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) was a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State.

Sanderson dropped a controversial 1-0, 3-0 decision to Russia's Albert Saritov in the bronze-medal match at 84 kg/185 lbs.

Sanderson was on the attack the entire bronze-medal match, peppering the defensive-minded Russian with an array of leg shots. The Russian never took a shot in four minutes as both periods went to ball draws.

Sanderson lost the first period 1-0 after the Russian won the ball draw and finished in the leg clinch. Sanderson won the ball draw in the second period and appeared to finish for a point in the leg clinch, but the referee allowed the match to continue. Saritov countered and was awarded two exposure points. The U.S. challenged the call, but it was upheld and the Russian was given an additional point on the challenge.

"I was a little rough. I got what I deserved," Sanderson said of his performance. "I'm glad I went through this process. One thing is the weight is qualified for the Olympics, but that's not what you come to the World Championships for."

The 32-year-old Sanderson won his first match of the day before dropping a 4-1, 4-3 decision to Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan, who placed third in the European Championships this year. Sanderson shot in for a quick early takedown, but was unable to generate much more offense in the match. Sharifov advanced to the finals to pull Sanderson back in for the repechage. Sharifov went on to win the World title at 84 kilos on Saturday night.

Sanderson pinned Chan-Uk Yoon of Korea in just 50 seconds in his first repechage match before pulling out a tough win over Yermek Baiduashov of Kazakhstan 4-3, 0-1, 2-1. He then downed Alireza Goudarzi of Iran 6-0, 1-0 to reach the bronze-medal match.

Sanderson scored on a pushout with three seconds left in the second period, clapping his hands as he finished off the impressive victory against the Iranian.

Sanderson (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) won a World silver medal in 2003. The head coach at Penn State returned to competition this year after nearly a seven-year absence.

Sanderson became emotional when asked about the performance of Varner, a wrestler he has coached collegiately and internationally.

"I'm really happy for Jake," Sanderson said. "That's awesome. I'm very proud of him. That's the first of many for him. He's the man."

The U.S. is tied for third with Iran in the team race with 22 points apiece. Russia leads with 28 points and Kazakhstan is second with 23 points.

Sanderson and Varner qualified the U.S. for the Olympics in their weight classes by virtue of clinching top-six finishes at the Worlds.

Reece Humphrey won his first two matches before falling to France's Didier Pais in the quarterfinals. Pais won the match 4-1, 3-3, 4-0 at 60 kg/132 lbs.

The third period was scoreless and went to the ball draw. Pais won the draw and finished in the leg clinch to advance to the semifinals. Pais lost to World champion Besik Kudukhov of Russia in the semifinals. That eliminated Humphrey, who placed ninth at 60 kilos on Saturday.

Humphrey (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) was wrestling in his first Senior World Championships. He is a past World University silver and bronze medalist.

Puerto Rico's Franklin Gomez, a past NCAA champion for Michigan State, won a World silver medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. Kudukhov beat Gomez 5-0, 1-0 in the finals. Kudukhov won the ball draw and executed a five-point lift and plant to the mat to win the first period. He added a second-period takedown to win his fourth straight World title.

Gomez qualifies Puerto Rico for the Olympics in his weight class by virtue of clinching a top-six finish.

Americans Teyon Ware (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) and Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) will compete for the U.S. in freestyle on the final day of the event on Sunday.

Ware competes at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Burroughs wrestles at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Ware and Burroughs are competing in their first World Championships. Dlagnev won a bronze medal at the 2009 Worlds in Denmark.

Wrestling is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.

WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 17

Men's freestyle results

60 kg/132 lbs.

1 Besik Kudukhov (Russia)

2 Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico)

3 Kenichi Yumoto (Japan)

3 Dauren Zhumagazyyev (Kazakhstan)

5 Didier Pais (France)

5 Malkhaz Zarkua (Georgia)

7 Alejandro Valdez Tobier (Cuba)

8 Zelimkhan Huseynov (Azerbaijan)

9 Reece Humphrey (USA)

10 Rizvan Gadzhiev (Belarus)

84 kg/185 lbs.

1 Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan)

2 Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine)

3 Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia)

3 Albert Saritov (Russia)

5 Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia)

5 Cael Sanderson (USA)

7 Alireza Goudarzi (Iran)

8 Shinya Matsumoto (Japan)

9 Alex Dolly (Ireland)

10 Yermek Baiduashov (Kazakhstan)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.

1 Reza Yazdani (Iran)

2 Serhat Balci (Turkey)

3 Ruslan Sheikhau (Belarus)

3 Jake Varner (USA)

5 Sinivie Boltic (Nigeria)

5 Taimuraz Tigiyev (Kazakhstan)

7 Rustam Iskandari (Tajikistan)

8 Gergely Sandor Kiss (Hungary)

9 Jozef Jaloviar (Slovakia)

10 Kurban Kurbanov (Uzbekistan)

U.S. RESULTS FROM SATURDAY'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men's Freestyle

60 kg/132 lbs. - Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC) - 9th

WIN Guillermo Cervantes Torres (Mexico), 2-1, 2-0

WIN Bilel Douissa (Tunisia), 6-0, fall 0:46

LOSS Didier Pais (France), 1-4, 3-3, 0-4

84 kg/185 lbs. - Cael Sanderson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) - 5th

WIN Alejandro Gallardo Ocampo (Mexico), 6-0, 7-0

LOSS Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan), 1-3, 1-4

WIN Chan-Uk Yoon (Korea), fall 0:50

WIN Yermek Baiduashov (Kazakhstan), 4-3, 0-1, 2-1

WIN Alireza Goudarzi (Iran), 6-0, 1-0

LOSS Albert Saritov (Russia), 0-1, 0-3

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) - 3rd

WIN Krassimir Kochev (Bulgaria), 1-0, 5-0

WIN Yunbilige Wu (China), 7-0, 6-0

LOSS Serhat Balci (Turkey), 0-1, 0-1

WIN Rustam Iskandari (Tajikistan), fall 1:50

WIN Taimuraz Tigiyev (Kazakhstan), 0-3, 3-2, 2-1

Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame to Induct the Late Cliff Keen in its 2012 Class

Contact: Bruce Hammond, Director of Marketing & Communications
<mailto:bhammond@nsga.org>bhammond@nsga.org
(847) 296-6742, ext. 102

or

Meghan Bradley, Secretary, Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee
<mailto:mbradley@nsga.org>mbradley@nsga.org
(847) 296-6742, ext. 107

MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS (September 6, 2011) - The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee announces today that it has elected four industry leaders to join its 2012 Class, including the late Cliff Keen, founder of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Cliff Keen Athletic. Additional inductees, who will officially be inducted at the NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit next May, include Don Lucas, Luke's Locker; Randy Ruch, Schuylkill Valley Sports; and Neil Stillwell, The Game.

According to Committee Chairman Bob Dickman, Senior Vice President of Purchasing for BSN Sports, "These four inductees have done extraordinary things in their careers to move the sporting goods industry forward. They are all truly leaders, innovators, and industry icons, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to induct them at the 2012 NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit."

With the induction of these honorees, the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame will have inducted 154 of the industry's pioneers and leaders since 1956. Keen, Lucas, Ruch and Stillwell will be honored the evening of Tuesday, May 8 at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas.

More about each inductee:

Cliff Keen
Cliff Keen Athletic

The late Cliff Keen's accomplishments in wrestling are numerous, and his impact on the sport and the sporting goods industry are still being felt today with the company bearing his name - Cliff Keen Athletic.

As the head wrestling coach at the University of Michigan for 45 years from 1925-1970, Keen's teams went an amazing 268-91-9, won 13 Big Ten team Championships, and had 68 All-Americans. Individual wrestlers he coached won 11 National Championships and 81 individual Big Ten Championships.

Keen's career not only included his service as the coach at Michigan. He also coached the 1948 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, served on the U.S. Olympic Committee, and wrote a book on the fundamentals of amateur wrestling, Championship Wrestling.

He is a member of the University of Michigan's Athletics Hall of Honor, the state of Michigan's Sports Hall of Fame, and the U.S. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. In addition, the wrestling arena at the University of Michigan is named Cliff Keen Arena.

One of his biggest accomplishments, however, was when he invented the first wrestling ear guard to protect wrestlers from "cauliflower ears", a deformation caused from repeated blows to the ear. This invention has become mandatory for wrestlers to wear in practice and matches today.

In 1958, Keen and his son, Jim, started Cliff Keen Athletic, to manufacture, sell and promote the ear guard he created, while educating the wrestling world on cauliflower ear. It was Keen's belief that unless he addressed the issue of cauliflower ear, parents would discourage their young athletes from participating in wrestling due to the concern for permanent disfigurement of the wrestler's ears.

Today, Cliff Keen Athletic provides protective equipment, uniforms and workout gear for wrestlers across the world. The company's product line also includes protective ice hockey helmets, and officials' wear for Major League Baseball umpires and NFL referees.

His invention and the company's continued success are hallmarks of a man who dedicated his life to the sport of wrestling and its success, and to building young men who became successful off the mat.

According to his grandson, Tom Keen, "He was a builder of men. He influenced so many people throughout his life that have had lasting impacts on not only the sport of wrestling, but society as a whole."

Don Lucas
Founder/Owner
Luke's Locker

Even while having a successful career as a commercial real estate attorney, Don Lucas had a passion for running. He was a member of a small but dedicated group of friends who ran together during lunch on the weekdays and in surrounding communities of Dallas on the weekends in the 1960s.

During those early years, Don set out to find a source of running shoes. While today, thousands of different styles of running and walking shoes are available, only a handful of running shoes existed in 1970. And there was no such thing as a specialty running store. Due to the obvious need and desire of the small running community in Dallas for shoes and accessories, Lucas created Luke's Locker in 1970 to meet those needs.

Today, Luke's Locker has nine locations throughout Texas, and the company is seen as one of the top specialty running retailers in the country. Run by all the members of his family, including his wife and three sons, the company is responsible for hundreds of running fundraisers that give back thousands of dollars to their local communities.

Lucas himself is a respected businessman, teacher, industry advocate, and is known as a pioneer of specialty running. His vision to begin the company and his leading-edge merchandising of running product in his stores became the standard for others to follow. He is well known for his desire to work together with his vendors for a win/win relationship and for his efforts to mentor and encourage his employees to become leaders within the industry. Many of them have gone on to become store owners, sales reps, and marketing employees for vendors.

His list of civic activities and awards are too numerous to name, but he is a member of the Running Specialty Stores Hall of Fame, serves as the Race Director of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Dallas, is a member of the Board of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, and a past Board Chairman of the Dallas YMCA.

According to Charlie Wright, partner at Bob Wood & Associates, "Luke's is a class company, run by a class family, which was all started by a young man who liked to stay active by running the streets of Dallas. We all owe Don Lucas a debt of gratitude for his passion and persistence in bringing better running shoes and creating better running events for the professional and weekend runner."

Randy Ruch
Founder/Retired CEO
Schuylkill Valley Sports

Randy Ruch is the founder, and retired CEO of Schuylkill Valley Sports, a 19-store retail chain based in Pottstown, Pa.

After earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics education from Villanova University, Ruch founded Schuylkill Valley Sports in 1971, building the company from a one-store company to a well established 19-store regional chain with a thriving team business, serving Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Known as a hard worker with tremendous business acumen, Ruch's efforts not only within his own company, but throughout the industry are well documented. He served with distinction on NSGA's Board of Directors for six years, on the Athletic Dealers of America Board for 10 years (one term as Chairman), on the Editorial Advisory Board for Sporting Goods Business magazine for more than 10 years, and was the chairman of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee for six years.

He is also dedicated to his community, serving on various boards and committees. For over 20 years, Ruch served on the Board of the Phoenixville Area YMCA, and as its chairman in 2005-06. He has received a number of awards from the organization, including Volunteer of the Year in 1993 and the Humanitarian Award in 2005. His other local service includes serving as a board member of Phoenixville Federal Bank and Trust, as a girls softball coach in the area's Babe Ruth baseball league, and as treasurer of his alma mater's Philadelphia Alumni Club.

According to Jay Schaeffer, President & CEO of the Freedom Valley YMCA, "During my 40 years as a professional YMCA director, Randy Ruch has been, and continues to be, one of the best volunteers with whom I have had the pleasure and opportunity to be associated."

Neil Stillwell
Founder
The Game Headwear

Since 1966, Neil Stillwell has been involved in the sporting goods industry, leaving an indelible mark as a team dealer, a retailer, and since 1985 when he founded The Game Headwear Co., a manufacturer located in Phenix City, Ala.

Stillwell began his career by opening Neil's Sport Shop, also in Phenix City, which eventually grew to include nine retail stores across two states, and surpassed $10 million in sales.

As a pioneer in the collegiate licensed product and souvenir concession businesses, he became the first football merchandise souvenir concessionaire at Auburn University, taking over the football stadium merchandise sales at the University of Alabama, University of Georgia, Florida State University, University of Florida, and Clemson University soon thereafter.

In 1985, Stillwell founded The Game Headwear Co., which has been instrumental in expanding the collegiate headwear business in the U.S. due to its innovative designs and quality manufacturing. The Game was the first branded headwear company to place its logo on the outside of caps, a practice that has become the industry standard, and Stillwell and his company were the first to sign endorsement contracts with college football coaches to wear their caps on the sidelines. By 1992, under Stillwell's leadership, the company grew to $82 million in sales and more than 250 employees, and the company's "The Bar" cap, remains the No. 1 headwear design in college sports today.

The next year, he partnered with NASCAR driver Davey Allison to establish A-Star Promotions, a souvenir and merchandise concession company, for Allison's No. 28 Texaco-Havoline team. This platform set the stage for Kudzu Headwear, which Stillwell started in 1994. Kudzu has forever changed the quality of headwear merchandise used by NASCAR's top teams, and the quality of headwear merchandise sold at NASCAR races.

Since re-acquiring The Game from Russell Athletic in 1998, Stillwell and his partners have regained market share, and sales reached $40 million. They have introduced "On the Field" headwear, and more than 1,000 college baseball teams wear The Game headwear during games.

According to Bill Kittredge, Vice President of Kittredge & Associates Sales Agency, "While Neil Stillwell should be inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame for his groundbreaking innovations and his entrepreneurial success, the most important reasons are his honesty, character, and goodwill, which overshadow the range of his accomplishments."

About the National Sporting Goods Association

The National Sporting Goods Association has served as the leading voice for sporting goods retailers, team dealers, sales agents and manufacturers since 1929. The association develops industry research, publications, and discounted services, while also hosting the annual NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit. All of these services are aimed at helping NSGA members be more profitable and to advocate on their behalf.

For more information about membership, or NSGA's products and services, please visit <http://www.nsga.org>www.nsga.org.

Nick Mitchell and his Grandview Vikings to Play Host to NAIA Championships

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced that Des Moines has been awarded the 2012 NAIA Wresting Championships. Grand View University will serve as the local host of the event, working in conjunction with Des Moines Area Sports Commission, which will take place March 1-3, 2012, at the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Approximately 320 athletes from around the country will compete and 10 individual national champions will be crowned. Grand View started its wrestling program in 2008 and is one of the top wrestling programs in the nation. In its first three years of competition, the Vikings have crowned three individual champions, placed in the top ten each year, and the team placed fifth in 2011.

"Grand View is very excited to be the host of the 2012 NAIA Wrestling Championships. The popularity of wrestling in Des Moines and surrounding areas will make for a great atmosphere for the national event. We look forward to working with the NAIA and the Des Moines Sports Commission to provide a quality event for the athletes competing and the coaches and fans attending the Championships," said Grand View Athletic Director Troy Plummer.

The state of Iowa has hosted seven previous wrestling championships. The 2011 Championships were help in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City hosted the event from 2005-08. The NAIA estimates that 5,000-8,000 fans attend the wrestling championships each year.

Des Moines to host 2012 NAIA Wrestling Championships

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The 2012 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will take place in Des Moines, Iowa, March 1 - 3, which is a location change from the original agreement. The change occurs because of facility renovations at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, Des Moines Area Sports Commission and Grand View University (Iowa) will host the 2012 event at the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center.

"The very nature of the circumstances surrounding this bid process required the NAIA to attract a quality venue and a solid host committee," said NAIA Championship Sport Manager Scott McClure. "We're confident that the host committee and the city of Des Moines will go the extra mile in making this year's NAIA Wrestling National Championships at the Jacobson Exhibition Center an outstanding experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans."

The Exhibition Center was completed in 2010. The state-of-the-art facility has fixed seating for 3,500, meeting rooms, concession areas and a second-floor VIP area. The facility has hosted events such as the 2011 Wrestling Corn Cob Nationals, the USA Gymnastics Region IV Championships and is scheduled to host the 2012 Junior High Wrestling State Meet.

The 2011 event marked the seventh NAIA Wrestling National Championship held in the state of Iowa. Prior to Cedar Rapids, Sioux City served as hosts for six years in two different stints. The NAIA estimates that 5-8,000 fans attend the wrestling championships each year.

The 2013 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will go back to the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The dates will be Feb. 28 - March 2.

The championship consists of 10 individual weight classes with five different sessions during the three-day span. Wrestlers qualify for the championships in one of two ways: placing in the top four in any weight class at the Qualifying Group tournament or through an intercollegiate tournament during the season. For more information on qualification, click here.

In the history of the sport, there have been 19 national team champions as former member Notre Dame (Ohio) won its second-straight National Championship in 2011. The first NAIA Wrestling National Championships occurred in 1958 and were held in Mankato, Minn. The host school, Mankato State won the inaugural title. Currently, 37 varsity programs sponsor wrestling in the NAIA.

Wrestling 49: Montana

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From early August until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. The rankings within this article do not necessarily reflect those done by InterMat. Did you a miss a Wrestling 49 feature? Visit Wrestling 49 archives.

The 2010-2011 wrestling season in the state of Montana was not to be soon forgotten. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, from the class 4 tornado that destroyed the Metra in Billings, the states wrestling fans saw the breakup of the All-Class State Wrestling tournament that has made the state’s wrestling community a family since 1987. However, that is not to say that the state didn’t enjoy one of the finest years on record in terms of overall talent. The season was one for the books. Jade Rauser of Broadwater(Class B-C), finished his high school career with a 175-0 record and set the state win record in the process. Dallen Brauer of Forsyth’s(Class B-C), quest to be a four time champ was interrupted by Choteau’s Jessie Werdahl. Brauer avenged his loss the following week by beating Werdahl 4-1 at the Tournament of Champions, a non-sanctioned end of year tournament held in Great Falls. Tanner Sprenkle of Billings Senior scored in the final seconds of his thriller with Great Falls High’s Josh Morin to tab his 4th state title(Class AA). While in Class A, the Laurel Locomotives upset Havre for the team title.

Heading into the 2011-2012 season, the caliber of top tear wrestling talent is as good as it has ever been in the Treasure State. Expectations on national rankings and wrestlers moving on to the college level are as sky high as the Montana clouds.

With the renovation of the Metra, the 2012 All-Class Tournament will reconvene in Billings. This year has the possibility of 4 wrestlers joining the elite group of 4 time Montana State Champions. (Luke Zeiger-Glasgow, Luke Schlosser-Conrad, Ben Stroh-Chinook, Cole Mendenhall-Great Falls High).

This Top 10 represents all three of Montana’s classifications (AA-A-BC). Class B-C and Class AA are well represented, with Class A having only one wrestler. All prospective wrestlers were considered based on in state record, state championships, All-American honors on either the Cadet or Junior level, Fargo and Reno tournaments, and finally the National Tournament at Virginia Beach.

1. Ben Stroh

High School: Chinook (Class B-C)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 189/215

Projected College Weight Class: 184/197

Analysis: Benjamin Stroh is a senior at Chinook High School in Chinook, MT. He is a 3X Montana High School State Champion and expected to join an elite group of Montana wrestlers to win four consecutive titles. Overly dominant in running his high school record to108-2, his last two seasons he remains undefeated. He currently holds the Montana Record for consecutive pins with 61. Stroh’s state Championships were earned at 160 lbs, 171 lbs, and 189 lbs respectively. Nationally, Benjamin Stroh competed and placed in the Tulsa Nationals, Rocky Mountain Nationals, Reno Worlds, and most recently 6th at Fargo’s USAW Junior Nationals. Ben also maintains a 3.3 GPA. Ben was selected as an All State football player on the Chinook 2011 State Championship team, both at fullback and middle linebacker. The son of Robin and Lisa Stroh, Ben is currently drawing interest from Minnesota, Iowa, Boise St, and Wyoming. His brother Robert is currently a member of the Wyoming Cowboys wrestling team. He will no doubt be drawing national attention as the season approaches.

2. Luke Zeiger

High School: Glasgow (Class B-C)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145

Projected College Weight Class: 141

Analysis: A household name on the MT wrestling scene since finishing his freshman campaign with a stunning State finals victory over Val Rauser (Broadwater Co./ UtahValley), Luke Zeiger has thrust himself into the national recruiting picture by winning the 2011 HS Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach. Known for being one of the best pinners in the state and Zeiger is almost inescapable from the referee’s position, when in control. Luke is hoping to wrestle for the University of Nebraska but also has a handful of area programs showing interest.

High School win/loss record: 136-4

High School Titles: 2009- 2010 -2011 state champion

Rocky Mountain Nationals Record: 4 time runner-up, 4 time champion

2010 Folkstyle National Wrestling runner-up (Cedar Falls, Iowa)

2011 National High School Junior Champion (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

3. Cole Mendenhall

High School: Great Falls High (Class AA)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 135

Projected College Weight Class: 133/141

Analysis: One of, if not the most reliable/steady wrestlers in the State, Cole Mendenhall, with a record of 130-4, has been impressive in his campaign to be the 3rd Great Falls Bison to win 4 state titles. The pedigree of the Bison program has turned out such names as Bill and Mike Zadick(Iowa), Jeff Thompson(Minnesota), and the Young brothers- Bobby, Dustin, and Jesse(Boise St).

Cole’s accolades include: Jug Beck Tournament Champion and Outstanding Wrestler, Rocky Mountain National Champion, Multiple time Western Regional Champ in all styles, Big Horn National Champion, Reno World Champion, USAW folkstyle All-American. Cole has beaten many national ranked kids along the way include pinning Val Rauser last year, while spliting 1-1 with him on the season- his lone loss was by only 1 point.

Prominent wrestling experts state that Cole is a top-caliber recruit who will be an asset to whichever respective program he ends up representing at the collegiate level. His desire is to attend a D-1 school that will challenge him both on the mat and in the classroom.

4. Josh Morin

High School: Great Falls High (Class AA)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 140

Projected College Weight Class: 133

Analysis: With physical build and manner, this product of Great Falls High’s traditional “in your face” style of wrestling, Josh Morin excelled in 2011 by beating Glasgow’s Luke Zeiger and 4X State Champion Tanner Sprenkle of Billings Senior, while totaling a career record of 105-11., Morin, a product of two former world championship bodybuilders, has a great work ethic that translates onto the mat. A two time finalist, the attribute that sets him apart is his desire to always challenge the best opponents possible. Despite not possessing the accolades of some others on this list, Morin’s best wrestling years seem to be in front of him. He will be a valuable college wrestler to whichever program he chooses. His accomplishments are listed below: 2 time Western Regional Triple Crown Champion, Rocky Mountain Nationals 4 time All-American, Rocky Mountain National Champion, Big Horn Nationals All-American, USAW folkstyle All-American 7th, Ranked as high as 9th in USAW future olympian rankings. His desire is to attend Oregon State but listed North Dakota, Rider University and Cal Poly as other schools of interest. Morin maintains a 3.85 GPA and is in the top 10% of his class of 350+.

5. Dallen Brauer

High School: Forsyth (Class B-C)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152

Projected College Weight Class: 141

Analysis: Re-focused for his senior year, Dallen has put forth the type of career that undoubtedly gets the noticed of college recruiters. With win totals hitting 40+ last season, his only loss was a controversial one in the State finals vs. Jesse Werdhal of Choteau High. Brauer, however avenged this loss the following week in the TOC, tournament held after the season to decide a true “state champion”- due to Montana’s All-Class wrestling tournament being a three division format. With a record of 129-4, 93 of those wins coming by fall Brauer is a 3 time finalist- winning 2 state titles. He has lead his Dogie teammates to be one of the toughest teams in the tri-state area, coached by Scott Weber.

He competed at the Disney National Nationals and showed just how dynamic a grappler he can be, going 6-1 in the contest. University of Great Falls, Dickinson State, and various NAIA and NCAA Division 2 schools are showing interest.

6. Luke Schlosser

High School: Conrad (Class B-C)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130

Projected College Weight Class: 125

Analysis: Being one of the smaller guys in the room, Luke Schlosser has the skills to beat every guy in his practice room at Conrad High School. Likewise, dominating is part of his quest to become a 4X Montana State Champion. The aforementioned is expected to be the best wrestler in his weight class for another consecutive season. Projected to compete at 119 for his senior campaign, Schlosser has risen to the challenge beating top 10 member Taylor French and Honorable Mention member Chris Nile. Schlosser holds a 3.3 GPA and has cued the attentions of some Ivy League schools. Interested to see what schools start calling as his technique and toughness reach new heights, this Montana champ has lots of options. University of Great Falls will no doubt be added to the list as his older brother, Scott, a 3X State Champion, competes for the Argos. Luke has a high school record of 101-5 and went undefeated in 2011. He also won the 2011 TOC in Great Falls.

7. Grant Boggs

High School: Helena High (Class AA)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 112

Projected College Weight Class: 125

Analysis: Helena High’s Grant Boggs, who will be a junior this fall, placed seventh and was one of four Montana wrestlers who earned All-American honors at the USA Wrestling Cadet Greco Roman Nationals in Fargo, N.D. At the Tournament of Champions, Boggs decisioned Karson Kukes (Laurel) 9-2 to claim the 98 pound crown. The Bengal grappler recently garnered the Class AA championship, while going an undefeated 35-0 for HHS. Boggs along with Bengal teammate Gabe Schroeck are expected to compete at the FILA Cadet World Championships in Szombathely, Hungary, in late August. Results were unavailable at time of publish. He will represent Team USA in the Greco-Roman portion of the event at 110 pounds.
Boggs college options are still a year out, but will no doubt have the option for college wrestling.

8. Eli Hinebaugh

High School: Havre (Class A)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171

Projected College Weight Class: 157

Analysis: Despite being ranked towards the bottom of this list, this young man demonstates well his talent on the mat. In fact, when seeking opinions from several of the states wrestling gurus, almost all of them where in universal agreement that this Blue Pony stud was one of the most dynamic wrestlers in the state. He follows the lineage of three older brothers who won at least one state title in their careers. Eli showed next level potential late in the 2011 season by winning a state title for Havre at the Class A wrestling championship held in Butte. The following week, Hinebaugh dominated the stiff competition at the TOC. Using his unorthodox “Hinebaugh Style” will no doubt leave college scouts intrigued as they watch Eli’s quest for another state title. MSU-Northern will lead the group of college interests, as his older brother won a National Title for the Lights in 2011.

9. Taylor French

High School: Forsyth (Class B-C)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 125

Projected College Weight Class: 125

Analysis: Two-time Forsyth finalist Taylor French, showed his prowess again on the mat in 2011. The Dogie grappler showed grit in his sophomore campaign by winning the 2011 state title in dominant fashion. He sports a high school record of 83-5 with 60 pins and placed 5th at Sophomore Nationals in Virginia Beach this year.

10. Clay Cathey

High School: Billings Skyview (Class AA)

Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130

Projected College Weight Class: 125

Analysis: This high flying Skyview Falcon is a tough customer. He had tremendous battles with Cole Mendenhall in 2010 and 2011, showing he is worthy of recognition on this list of Montana Elite. A 3X Class AA finalist, Clay placed 4th at High School Nationals and earned a silver medal at the Disney Duals. His Skyview team placed 4th this summer in a national dual tournament in Florida, in which he went unbeaten. Receiving some interest from several mid-major D-1 programs, Cathey continues to perfect his technique under Coach Rich Malia, who has sent a solid handful of Falcons to wrestle at the D-1 level, most notably his own sons, Ty and Joey(Nebraska and Iowa St) and Bo(Oregon). Watch for Cathey’s technique and aggressiveness to be much improved in 2012. So far undecided on his college choice, time will tell how this Montana wrestler’s future will play out.

Honorable Mention:

Bryce Weatherston(Belgrade), Teague Jones(Harlem), Chris Nile and Brandon Weber(Forsyth), Ben Sulser(Blgs Senior)

High school wrestling participation grows for boys and girls in 2010-11 in NFHS report

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has released its 2010-11 High School Athletics Participation Survey, and the sport of wrestling has grown in all five categories identified.

The statistics for boys and girls wrestling grew during the 2010-11 season concerning the number of athletes participating.

In 2010-11, there were 273,732 boys competing in wrestling, an increase of 842 wrestlers from the previous year (a 0.3 percent increase)

The number of girl wrestlers in high schools grew to 7,351 athletes, an increase of 1,217 wrestlers from the previous year (an impressive 19.8 percent increase). This made girls wrestling the fastest growing sport for high school girls in terms of percentage increase.

The number of girl high school wrestlers has gained every year since 1990, a streak of 22 straight years of growth in participation

Wrestling remained the No. 6 most popular boys sport in terms of number of participants and the No. 8 most popular sport in terms of number of teams.

When combining the number of boys and girls involved in wrestling in 2010-11, the total number grew to 281,083, which increased 2,059 for the year. This amounts to a 0.7 percent increase in total wrestlers for the year.

There was an increase in the number of high schools which fielded boys wrestling teams. In the 2010-11 season, there were 10,407 boys wrestling teams, an increase of 44 teams, for a percentage gain of 0.4 percent.

There were 1,215 girls wrestling teams this season, an increase of 206 teams, for a percentage gain of 20.4 percent.

For the 22nd consecutive year, the number of student participants in high school athletics increased overall.

There was a total of 7,667,955 participants in 2010-11 in all sports, an increase of 39,578 for the year.

The top 10 states for boys wrestling participation were: 1. California (27,833); 2. Illinois (17,133); 3. New York (14,367); 4. Ohio (11,693); 5. Michigan (11,195); 6. North Carolina (10,724); 7. Pennsylvania (9,900); 8. New Jersey (9,718); 9. Georgia (8,490); 10. Florida (8,412)

The top 5 states for girls wrestling participation were: 1. California (1,910); 2. Texas (1,706); 3. Washington (922); 4. Hawaii (456); 5. Iowa (277)

TEN MOST POPULAR BOYS PROGRAMS

Participants

1. Football - 11-player, 1,108,441

2. Track and Field - Outdoor, 579,302

3. Basketball, 545,844

4. Baseball, 471,025

5. Soccer, 398,351

6. Wrestling, 273,732

7. Cross Country, 246,948

8. Tennis, 161,367

9. Golf, 156,866

10. Swimming and Diving, 133,900

Schools

1. Basketball, 18,150

2. Track and Field - Outdoor, 15,954

3. Baseball, 15,863

4. Football - 11-player, 14,279

5. Cross Country, 14,097

6. Golf, 13,681

7. Soccer, 11,503

8. Wrestling, 10,407

9. Tennis, 9,839

10. Swimming and Diving, 6,899

Official NFHS press release

High School Sports Participation Continues Upward Climb

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 23, 2011) - Participation in high school sports increased for the 22nd consecutive school year in 2010-11, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Based on figures from the 50 state high school athletic/activity associations, plus the District of Columbia, that are members of the NFHS, sports participation for the 2010-11 school year reached another record-breaking total of 7,667,955 participants.

Boys and girls participation figures also reached respective all-time highs with 4,494,406 boys and 3,173,549 girls participating in 2010-11 - an overall increase of 39,578 participants from 2009-10.

"While the overall increase was not as much as we've seen in the past few years, we are definitely encouraged with these totals given the financial challenges facing our nation's high schools," said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. "The benefits of education-based athletics at the high school level are well-documented, and we encourage communities throughout the nation to keep these doors of opportunity open.

"Based on the survey, 55.5 percent of students enrolled in high schools participate in athletics, which emphasizes and reinforces the idea that high school sports continue to have a significant role in student involvement in schools across the country."

Cross country and outdoor track and field gained the most participants in boys sports last year, with increases of 7,340 and 7,179, respectively. Other boys sports with significant jumps were soccer (6,512), basketball (5,637) and lacrosse (5,013). Three sports with lower overall participation totals registered large percentage gains in 2010-11 - fencing (up 38 percent to 2,027 participants), weightlifting (up 12 percent to 22,161 participants) and badminton (up 9.4 percent to 4,693 participants).

Among girls sports, the emerging sport of lacrosse led the way with an additional 6,155 participants - an increase of nine percent from the previous year. With 74,927 participants nationwide, lacrosse cracked the girls Top 10 listing for the first time as it moved past golf (71,764). Outdoor track and field was close behind lacrosse with an additional 6,088 participants, followed by soccer (5,440), volleyball (5,347) and cross country (2,685).

Sports with lower overall girls participation totals that registered the largest percentage gains were wrestling (up 19.8 percent to 7,351 participants), badminton (up 14 percent to 12,083 participants) and weightlifting (up 11 percent to 8,237 participants).

The top 10 participatory sports for boys remained the same from 2009-10: Eleven-player football led the way with 1,108,441, followed by outdoor track and field (579,302), basketball (545,844), baseball (471,025), soccer (398,351), wrestling (273,732), cross country (246,948), tennis (161,367), golf (156,866) and swimming and diving (133,900).

Outdoor track and field was the top sport for girls again last year with 475,265 participants, followed by basketball (438,933), volleyball (409,332), fast-pitch softball (373,535), soccer (361,556), cross country (204,653), tennis (182,074), swimming and diving (160,881), competitive spirit squads (96,718) and lacrosse (74,927).

Texas and California once again topped the list of participants by state with 786,626 and 774,767, respectively, followed by New York (388,527), Illinois (350,144), Ohio (328,430), Pennsylvania (316,687), Michigan (314,354), New Jersey (255,893), Florida (245,079) and Minnesota (234,901).

Although the rise in girls participation numbers was not as large this past year (due, in part, to significant drops in competitive spirit numbers in two states), the percentage increase rate has more than doubled the rate for boys during the past 20 years - 63 percent to 31 percent. Twenty years ago, girls constituted 36 percent of the total number of participants; this past year, that number has climbed to 41 percent. In Oklahoma, the number of girls participants actually exceeded the number of boys this past year - 44,112 to 42,694.

The participation survey has been compiled since 1971 by the NFHS through numbers it receives from its member associations. The complete 2010-11 High School Athletics Participation Survey is available on the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

Bluffdale, Riverton, Sandy and West Jordan Youths Named Outstanding Wrestlers; Mountain Top Wrestling Club Recognizes Members for Freestyle and Greco-Roman Excellence

(Sandy, Utah) - Aug. 12, 2011 - Mountain Top Wrestling Club recently held its annual Awards Banquet, recognizing youth athletes for their achievements during the 2011 freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling season. Attendees from the 40-plus-member team received gold medals for their hard work and dedication over the season, team photos, and trophies for the Most Improved, Most Dedicated, Rookie of the Year and Outstanding Wrestlers.

"This has been a great year, with a lot of new faces," said Coach Bill Kilpack. "We had first-year wrestlers who performed very well at state levels. We had two Intermountain Champions. We had 12 All-American finishees. The club finished second in Greco-Roman as a team at the Mountain Top Classic, and finished first as a team in freestyle. It was a really great year!"

Five trophies for Outstanding Wrestler were awarded to Weston Nielsen of Bluffdale, who wrestled Flyweight (ages 6 and Under) 55 lbs.; brothers Trever and Kelly Glaubensklee of Sandy, who wrestled Intermediate (ages 9 and 10), Trever at 55 lbs. and Kelly at 70 lbs.; Ethan Wood of Riverton, Intermediate 55 lbs.; and Justin Schwendiman of West Jordan, Cadet (ages 15 and 16) 105 lbs.

This season, Nielsen took state in freestyle at the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, and went undefeated overall, an accomplishment only managed four times before in the club history. He was one of the two Intermountain Champions from Mountain Top Wrestling Club. He was named Outstanding Wrestler in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the Mountain Top Classic, as well as in freestyle at the Kuna Classic in Kuna, Ida. He was also the UtahWrestling.org top-ranked Flyweight wrestler in Utah and the number-11 ranked overall youth wrestler in the state.

Trever Glaubensklee made it to the finals in Greco-Roman at the AAU Grand Nationals in Santa Fe, NM, finished third in freestyle, and sixth in folkstyle. He was the second of the Intermountain Champions on the team, and was named an Outstanding Wrestler at the Kuna Classic in Kuna, Ida. He was also the UtahWrestling.org number 4-ranked Intermediate wrestler in Utah and the number-7 ranked overall youth wrestler in the state.

Kelly Glaubensklee finished third in Greco-Roman at the AAU Grand Nationals, fourth in both freestyle and folkstyle. Of note is that he was an Intermountain Champion last year, and finished right behind his brother for the honor this year. He was the number 16-ranked Intermediate wrestler in Utah according to UtahWrestling.org and the number-20 ranked overall youth wrestler in the state.

Wood finished third in both Greco-Roman and freestyle at the AAU Grand Nationals, and earned a fourth-place finish in folkstyle. He was the number 5-ranked Intermediate wrestler in Utah according to UtahWrestling.org and the number-14 ranked overall youth wrestler in the state.

Justin Schwendiman finished third in all three styles at the AAU Grand Nationals. He took state in Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships and fifth in freestyle. He was the number-10 ranked Cadet wrestler in Utah and also ranked number 15 for all wrestlers 15 and older by UtahWrestling.org.

Two trophies were presented for Rookie of the Year. "These were all first-year wrestlers or their first year with Mountain Top Wrestling Club," Kilpack said. "They not only showed massive improvement over the season, but took it to the next level." Receiving Rookie of the Year were Krysta Orton of Sandy, Flyweight 45 lbs., and Austin Woolley of Sandy, Schoolboy (ages 13 and 14) 91 lbs.

Orton, youngest of a wrestling family full of brothers, showed how tough she can be, making it to the finals in the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships in freestyle, and placed in every tournament she entered over the season. As a result, she was the number-12 ranked Flyweight wrestler in the state.

Wooley placed in every tournament he entered over the season, and finished seventh in Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships in one of the toughest classes in the age division.

Seven trophies were also awarded for the Most Improved wrestlers. These were awarded to Thomas Hekking of Sandy, Intermediate 60 lbs.; Gavin Dockstader of Riverton, Intermediate 75 lbs.; Tanner Orton of Sandy, Novice 60 lbs.; brothers Alex and Adam Maxwell of Sandy, Alex Schoolboy 112 lbs., Adam Junior (ages 17 and 18) 160 lbs.; MacKelti Kilpack of Sandy, Cadet 105 lbs.; and Joey Day of Sandy, Cadet 119 lbs.

"All seven showed dramatic improvement over the season," Kilpack said. "Thomas went from winning only a match or two last season to placing in every tournament and brawling with Ethan at tournaments, giving him as tough of competition as he had all year. Gavin also had a real breakthrough year, going from only winning a match or two each fo the last two years to placing high, if not winning every tournament this season. Tanner came back from a difficult early season to finishing with a state title. The Maxwell boys each stepped up in terms of consistency and intensity.  MacKelti had to adjust to moving up to wrestling high-school age opponents when only in the eighth grade, and ended up placing almost every weekend, and finishing eighth in state in freestyle. Joey had a great season, having to adjust to growing out of the smallest weights in the age division to one of the toughest, and finished seventh in state. We're very proud of all of them."

Trophies for Most Dedicated went to Jackson Buehner of West Jordan and Brady Anderson of Sandy.  "Sometimes it's hard to decide on a Most Dedicated," Kilpack said. "This year, it wasn't. Jackson rarely missed a practice, always worked hard, even when his workout partners were All-Americans and he was a first-year wrestler. Not only that, when he wrapped up his competition season, he still came to practice to help those going on to the big tournaments get mat time. Brady is one of those kids who always seems to be in fourth gear. He's a good wrestler, but doesn't take it for granted, always seeming eager to learn and take direction. Not only that, but he would encourage the younger wrestlers to work, showing leadership, as well as dedication."

The trophy recipients were selected by the Mountain Top Wrestling Club coaching staff.

Mountain Top Wrestling Club is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to providing a venue for individuals to learn, develop and refine their athletic skills and abilities; and teaching the rules and regulations of freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.  It is open to male and female athletes ages four and older who live anywhere in the State of Utah. Practices are held three days a week from 6-7:30 p.m. at Jordan High School.  For more information, call 641-9832, e-mail <mailto:coach@mountaintopwrestling.com>coach@mountaintopwrestling.com or visit them on the Worldwide Web at <http://www.mountaintopwrestling.com>www.mountaintopwrestling.com>.

Attendance at High School Sporting Events Tops 500 Million

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 17, 2011) - More fans attend high school basketball and football events than the same sports at the college and professional levels combined, according to a survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

During the 2009-10 school year, approximately 336 million fans attended high school regular-season and playoff games in football and girls and boys basketball - more than 21⁄2 times the 133 million spectators who attended events in those sports at the college and professional levels.

In addition, attendance at events in the top 16 high school sports from a participation standpoint was approximately 510 million during the 2009-10 school year, including 468 million during regular-season events and 42 million for state association playoff contests.

The NFHS surveyed high school athletic directors at small (up to 1,000 enrollment), medium (1,000 to 2,200) and large (more than 2,220) high schools and multiplied the average regular-season attendance (based on the schools that responded) in each sport by the number of schools in each enrollment category that sponsor the sport. A similar method was used to determine overall attendance at postseason events conducted by NFHS member state associations.

In addition to basketball and football, others sports included in the survey were baseball, cross country, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo and wrestling. Where applicable, attendance for both boys and girls contests was included.

When combining attendance at regular-season girls and boys contests, basketball led the way with about 170 million fans, followed closely by football with 166 million. Soccer ranked third at 24 million, followed by baseball (20 million), volleyball (17 million), softball (15.8 million), wrestling (10 million), track and field (6.6 million), ice hockey (6 million), swimming and diving (4.8 million), lacrosse (4.5 million), cross country (3 million), water polo (1.8 million), tennis (1.8 million), golf (1.3 million) and field hockey (800,000).

While there are about 40 sports listed in the NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, the remaining sports not included in the attendance survey have minimal participation numbers nationally and would collectively add fewer than a million spectators annually. This is the first attempt (through the means of a survey) by the NFHS, the national leadership organization for high school athletic and performing arts activities, to determine national attendance figures at the high school level.

"This first-of-its-kind survey of attendance figures at the high school level is certainly a great sign that high school sports continue to be a big part of communities throughout our nation," said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. "A ticket to a high school sporting event remains one of the best values for the entertainment dollar."

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.6 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at <http://www.nfhs.org/>www.nfhs.org.

Vote for Henry

Wrestling…A Unique Opportunity

"The Olympics are about that brief moment of glory, where a lifetime of training boils down to that once-every-four-years window where you either rise to the occasion or you don't. We celebrate our winners, we forget our losers. Then we move on.

But for athletes who've tasted that fleeting glory, life doesn't necessarily move on. They remember that feeling. And even after retirement, they want to taste it again." Credit-Reid Forgrave has worked for the Des Moines Register, theCincinnati Enquirer and the Seattle Times. His work has been recognized by Associated Press Sports Editors, the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists, Best American Sports Writing and the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the buildup to the 2012 Olympics that has already begun with every platform including television, all media outlets are all positioning themselves for the world's great athletic presentation….the Summer Games in London.

Hundreds of billions of dollars have been committed to making it a very successful event.

What all media needs is "Content" ! They need  more content and a ton of more content to flood the waves of worldwide media attention and marketing dollars to boot.

I believe that wrestling has an unique opportunity to provide "mainstream content" to the upcoming games with some interesting and worthwhile life stories.

Most certainly Henry Cejudo's life story that has already been penned continues to attract the mainstream media because of his compelling story and obviously, his announced return to defend his Olympic Title.

With Cael, Rulon and perhaps even, Kurt now provides wrestling an access to the sports world especially mainstream media.

These 4 people can do more for wrestling in 2 years worth of "free" marketing then all of us who sit at a computer and helping to spread the word to each other.

It will help wrestling tremendously,  if Henry can win at the ballot box for the BMW Performance Contest that is running now until August 11th.

BMW is a worldwide Olympic Sponsor and with their huge investment into the Games, it  will be airing hundreds of commercials with Olympic Athletes in the USA and the world.

Henry could be one of the commercials' that millions of USA kids will see almost every time they watch TV.

Go to: <http://www.bmwusa.com/performanceteam>http://www.bmwusa.com/performanceteam and vote. It is a "Chicago" election…vote early and often as many times as you can.

Brute Wrestling donates the largest gift ever to the Beat the Streets USA initiative

 Brute Wrestling has donated over 3,400 singlets, 1,740 earguards and 500 wrestling shoes to the Beat the Streets USA program.
 
The Brute donation, valued $360,000 retail, provides essential equipment to newly created programs, which are vitally necessary to launch a new program.
 
The mission of the Beat the Streets program is to expand wrestling by nationalizing the sport into every major city in America.
 
The 2010 U.S. census reflects the growth of the population moving back to the cities, with over 62% of the country now living in the top 50 cities in America.
 
The last frontier for wrestling is Urban America. Wrestling needs more wrestlers and America needs Wrestling!
 
Beat the Streets USA Chairman Al Bevilacqua testifies to the importance of the gift on behalf of the entire Beat the Streets initiative. “This equipment is very valuable in the development of any new program, especially in urban schools where the lack of resources has always been an excuse not to introduce wrestling into the curriculum or afterschool program,” he said.  “In order to sell a city school system on wrestling we must take the finances off the table especially in today’s economic downturn. Mats and equipment are the largest budgeted items in beginning a program.
 
The Brute Wrestling donation helps other cities to consider joining the movement knowing that we have such great support from the wrestling community”.
 
In the 2006, the New York City Partnership with the Department of Education, Mike Novogratz, the Chairman of the Beat the Streets Board in New York, made it abundantly clear that the organization would provide the mats, shoes, uniforms and other equipment.  

Beat the Streets-NYC only wanted access to the schools and was able to secure 1200 donors from 29 states to help expand the program from one inaugural middle school in 2005 to over 120 middle and high school teams.
 
Since last year, Beat the Streets USA has received inquiries from many cities seeking information on how to join the movement.

The cities involved now are New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, Columbus, St. Louis, Norfolk and Hartford.
 
It is a simple formula: “Wrestling Needs More Wrestling and More Fans.” To reach the goals of this program, we need more help!
 
“Now, 4,000 kids new to wrestling will wear a new singlet and a new ear guard this season thanks to Brute. You will be amazed how much this means to kids in Urban America,” said Bevilacqua.
 
About Brute Wrestling
As the first U.S. company to sell wrestling products by mail order, Brute Wrestling originated in 1967 as the Henson Company, Inc. in the residence of its founder, Captain Josiah Henson. Today under the trade name, Brute Wrestling, the company continues to provide a complete line of top quality wrestling products and apparel to sporting goods dealers for amateur and professional athletic clubs and teams and other buyers all over North America. For more information on Brute wrestling visit brute.com and follow Brute Wrestling on Facebook.

Champs/Lifeskills Cup
For the second consecutive year our team won the Champs/Lifeskills cup, which is is a team competition designed to create greater participation in CHAMPS events. Each team earns points based on their successes in the classroom and on the field. Additionally, they earn points when members of the team participate in personal development, career development and community service events. The personal development, career development and community service points are awarded based on the percentage of the team that participates in the event. The cup is awarded to the Men's and Women's teams that earn the most points over one calendar year and is presented to at the President's Cup Awards brunch Sunday May 1st. If you will be in town for our banquet and are interested in attending the brunch, let me know and I will let you know who to contact.

Take care, thanks for the support and hope to see you sometime soon,
Kerry
Head Wrestling Coach
University of Maryland
2011 NWCA Convention Exhibitor Information - Fort Lauderdale, FL

Dear Exhibitor:

The National Wrestling Coaches Association is pleased to announce the 2011 NWCA Annual Convention to be held August 4-7th , in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, will host this year's event sponsored by ASICS, Cliff Keen, and Resilite. Once again, we are anticipating another outstanding convention, and would like to invite you to attend as an exhibitor / vendor for our event.

After experiencing a fantastic 2010 Convention last year in Delray Beach, where we had over 275 coaches from around the country in attendance, these attendees included coaches from the high school, club and the collegiate levels. We are currently projecting higher attendance numbers than last year.

The Harbor Beach Marriott is easily accessible from the Ft. Lauderdale Airport (FLL). Delray Beach will offer a guestroom rate of $99.00 per night for August 4-7 and $89.00 per night for 3 nights prior and 3 nights after our convention depending on availability. These rates do not include taxes. You must identify with the NWCA Annual Convention Meeting. To reserve your room please call 1-954-525-4000.

For your Convenience we have outlined below the exhibitor's fees and entitlements for your review:

Fees:

a.      The fee for exhibitors / vendors will be $500.00 for one 8' x 10' area which includes the following:
                               One (1) - 6' Skirted Table, (2) Chairs, and a wastebasket per exhibit area.
b.      Additional tables may be secured for $100.00 per 6' table
c.       Addition fees below will apply for any other needs not listed in above (including: electric, extension cords, and other AV needs). You will need to arrange this through the Harbor Beach Marriott.

Entitlements:

1.      Two (2) Luncheon Tickets on Friday afternoon August 5, 2010, at 11:30 a.m.
2.      Two (2) Exhibitors' Social Tickets to be held on Friday, August 5, 2010, in the exhibitors' showroom.
3.      Two (2) Luncheon Tickets on Saturday afternoon August 6, 2010, at 11:30 a.m.
4. Your materials placed in each registrant's packet when sent to the NWCA Office by July 1, 2011.
5. A list of convention attendees, including complete addresses.
6. Recognition in the NWCA Convention Notebook.

Please complete the Exhibitor Information Form (this is not a contract) and return it as soon as possible via mail or fax. A formal contract will be sent to those who agree to exhibit. If you require more information or have any questions, please feel free to call our office.

On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors and our staff; thank you for your time, we hope to see you at this year's NWCA Convention.
Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour 2011 Travels to Texas

Olympic and World Champion Wrestler, Menlo College Coach to Lead Clinic in Frisco

BOULDER, Colo. - April 5, 2011 - Arno P. Niemand, longtime wrestling proponent, author, historian, and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, today announced that the popular Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour 2011 is coming to Frisco Texas on April 17.

Event Description: Marcie Van Dusen, 2008 Olympian and current head coach of the women's wrestling program at Menlo College, will be holding a freestyle clinic followed by a meet-and-greet session for parents. The event is for girls and women who want to learn more about freestyle wrestling.

Event Open To: Clinic is targeted to high school and middle school female wrestlers, but is open to all wrestlers and coaches.

Where: Frisco Centennial High School, 6901 Coit Road, Frisco, TX 75035

When: 10:00 am - 2:30 pm, April 17, 2011

For More Information: Monica Allen, mmharris@azleisd.net, 806-220-6229 or log on to www.themat.com.

About Arno Niemand
Mr. Niemand is a 1956 graduate of Cornell, where he was on the wrestling team. He was later inducted into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. He went on to earn his MBA in 1958 from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia. Throughout his life, Mr. Niemand has continued to support the sport of wrestling, and in 2008 received the FILA Gold Star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. In 2009, he inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, earning the Order of Merit.

As previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc., Niemand has sponsored the USA Wrestling Women's National Team since 2003.

Niemand recently wrote and published, "The Dream Team of 1947," a new book chronicling the extraordinary story of the 1947 wrestling team of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, which is available at Amazon.com and select book stores. More details can be found at http://dreamteam47.com.

Follow women's wrestling activities on www.usawrestlingnation.com and www.themat.com.
###
Note to editors: For a review copy of the Niemand's new book or for an interview with Mr. Niemand or Ms. Van Dusen, please contact Marilyn Kroner at Kroner Communications - mkroner@kronercommunications.com.
SUNY Morrisville Eliminates Wrestling

On Thursday, March 31, 2011, the State University of New York (SUNY) at Morrisville announced that they were dropping the sport of wrestling from its intercollegiate athletic program. The college's athletic director, Greg Carroll, claimed this action was necessary because of "a general decline in the popularity of wrestling at the high school level". Nothing could be further from the truth. It's simply dead wrong.

The truth is high school wrestling is on the rise. The National Federation of State High School Associations reports growth in wrestling participation on the scholastic level for each of the past six consecutive years. In fact, wrestling is the sixth most popular sport for boys in the country. In New York State, scholastic wrestling is even more vibrant. The state ranks fourth nationally in participation and in New York City alone, 42 new varsity programs have been added in the last four years.

Sadly, for high school athletes, it's the decline in college wrestling programs that limit opportunities for scholastic wrestlers and endanger the sport's future. Wrestling's supporters have been counting on the publicly supported colleges like Morrisville to provide opportunities for the true student-athlete who participates in his or her sport on the collegiate level solely for the love of their sport.

Those of us who are involved in the sport know that Morrisville can save wrestling from the chopping block. Financially, finding the resources to keep the program will take far less than the $5.2 million spent on the new football stadium. In fact, according to the NCAA, wrestling has one of the lowest costs per student in all NCAA sports.

So, what is it? It's not the lack of scholastic athletes or even the lack of money - really. It's not Title IX and it's not about scholarships - there are none in Division III athletics. There really doesn't seem to be a good reason. So, contact SUNY Morrisville President Richard Carreno and ask him to not drop Mustang Wrestling. You can reach him either by phone (315) 684-6044 or by email at carrenrj@morrisville.edu or you can contact the Athletic Director Greg Carroll carrolgm@morrisville.edu, 315-684-6072

Save Morrisville Wrestling - Update: College Offers More Reasons To Cut Wrestling
Setting The Record Straight

The Morrisville Athletic Department now claims that the decision was also based on the lack of interest on campus and the college's conference affiliation.

Lack of interest? The truth is that the 2010-11 SUNY Morrisville team concluded the season with 22 individuals on the roster and was able to enter an individual in nine out of the ten weight classes at the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Championships in late February .  

Also in their most recent release, SUNY Morrisville's Athletic Department claimed their decision was also based on the fact that their main conference affiliation, the NEAC (North East Athletic Conference), does not sponsor wrestling. Strangly, conference affiliation does not seem to be a problem for the Men's Ice Hockey or Women's Field Hockey programs as both of those teams compete in the SUNY Athletic Conference as affiliate members. The wrestling program is a member of a very strong Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference that consists of eight other institutions which all have a very rich wrestling tradition.

Contact SUNY Morrisville President Richard Carreno and ask him to not drop Mustang Wrestling. You can reach him either by phone (315) 684-6044 or by email at carrenrj@morrisville.edu or contact the Athletic Director Greg Carroll 315-684-6072
carrolgm@morrisville.edu, 
Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour 2011 Debuts in NYC

Olympic and World Champion Wrestler, Menlo College Coach to Lead Clinic in NYC

BOULDER, Colo. - February 23, 2011 - Arno P. Niemand, longtime wrestling proponent, author, historian, and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, today announced that the popular Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour 2011 will launch on March 5, in New York City.

Event Description: Marcie Van Dusen, 2008 Olympian and current head coach of the women's wrestling program at Menlo College, will be holding a freestyle clinic followed by a meet-and-greet session for parents. The event is for girls and women who want to learn more about freestyle wrestling, and will be held in conjunction with the Beat the Streets Girls Freestyle Tournament, which will serve as recruiting tool for the women's wrestling program at Menlo College.

Event Open To: Clinic is targeted to high school and middle school female wrestlers, but is open to all wrestlers and coaches.

Where: Beat the Streets Wrestling, 145 Thompson Street, New York, NY, 10012

When: March 5, 2011. Registration and check-in begin at 9:30 am - 6 pm.

Cost: There is no charge for the clinic, but a USA Wrestling card is required for insurance purposes. Those may be purchased on the day of the event for $34. cash. If the wrestler is less than 18 years old, a parent or guardian must sign the registration form. USA Wrestling Cards are also available online at http://www.usawmembership.com/.

Registration: Register by mailing or emailing the completed Entry Form/Permission Slip  (http://bit.ly/hwB23n) for each participant to coach Cheryl Wong, Beat the Streets Wrestling, 145 Thompson St, NY, NY 10012 or at cwong@beat-the-streets.org.
About Arno Niemand
Mr. Niemand is a 1956 graduate of Cornell, where he was on the wrestling team. He was later inducted into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. He went on to earn his MBA in 1958 from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia. Throughout his life, Mr. Niemand has continued to support the sport of wrestling, and in 2008 received the FILA Gold Star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. In 2009, he inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, earning the Order of Merit.

As previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc., Niemand has sponsored the USA Wrestling Women's National Team since 2003.

Niemand recently wrote and published, "The Dream Team of 1947," a new book chronicling the extraordinary story of the 1947 wrestling team of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, which is available at Amazon.com and select book stores. More details can be found at http://dreamteam47.com.

Follow women's wrestling activities on www.usawrestlingnation.com and www.themat.com.
###
Note to editors: For a review copy of the Niemand's new book or for an interview with Mr. Niemand or Ms. Van Dusen, please contact Marilyn Kroner at Kroner Communications - mkroner@kronercommunications.com.
Iowa Wrestler Defaults Rather than Face Girl

DES MOINES, Iowa -An Iowa high school wrestler who was one of the favorites to win his weight class defaulted on his first-round state tournament match rather than face one of the first girls to ever qualify for the event.

Joel Northrup, a home-schooled sophomore who was 35-4 wrestling for Linn-Mar High this season, said in a statement that he doesn't feel it would be right for him to wrestle Cedar Falls freshman Cassy Herkelman. Herkelman, who was 20-13 entering the tournament, and fellow 112-pounder Ottumwa sophomore Megan Black, who was 25-13, made history by being the first girls to qualify for the state tournament. Black was pinned quickly in her opening round match.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan and their accomplishments. However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times," wrote Northrup. "As a matter of conscience and my faith I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa."

There were several thousand fans on hand Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena, but many were watching other matches when the referee raised Herkelman's hand to signal her win. There was a smattering of cheers and boos from the crowd before Herkelman was whisked into the bowels of the arena.

Tournament organizers declined to make Herkelman available for questions. Her next match is Friday.
Girls Wrestling Has Potential to Expand Wrestling Nationwide

Wrestling participation in the United States has remained "flat" in terms of growth and expansion as it continues to struggle in maintaining the numbers nationwide to the levels of the late 1970's.

I strongly believe that women's and girl's wrestling can easily expand to 150,000 additional wrestlers in the next decade.

Politically, it is a no brainer, as the USA has 50 % of its population that are females.

More importantly, there are more women attending colleges and universities then men.

The misapplication of the Title IX Law of equality created by government with the current and ridiculous quota system, girls and women's wrestling will help tremendously expanding the college numbers as well.

It will not be long before the Title IX advocates begin a major effort of bringing the "enforcement" of the law to the high school level.

The advocates are well funded and will have behind them the onslaught of the mainstream media to get its message out.

Our national administrators  should heed the signs and become proactive in getting behind the effort of expanding, promoting and marketing girls and women's wrestling with a strong message followed with a level of investments equal to the recent development of the UFC and MMA.

Get ahead of the curve, if not, they will.

America has always been built from opportunity, not government.

The more wrestlers we have albeit boys or girls, expands the marketplace and provides access to the national media. Once wrestling secures the national media, sponsorships increase, businesses expand and wrestling has one million athletes will eventually lead to what every sport wants…recognition and more medals at the world and Olympic level.

The New York Daily News and the New York Times reach millions of people nationwide as well as a worldwide audience so FILA may understand.

Milan Ercegan, who recently passed away, understood in the late 1980's under the pressure of keeping  wrestling in the Olympic program. He began to promote women's wrestling and it became an Olympic Sport in 2004 in Athens.

We are still in the Olympic games, for now! Patricia Miranda became our first medalist winning a Bronze Medal.

As President Obama said in the SOTU address the other evening, "America has another "SPUTNIK" moment."

Wrestling has as well!
2011 Olympian Marcie Van Dusen Women Wrestling Clinics Schedule Announced

Strong Attendance Prompts Additional Locations; Sponsored by Arno P. Niemand

BOULDER, CO - January 25, 2011 - Arno P. Niemand, longtime wrestling proponent, author, historian, and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, today announced the 2011 schedule for the popular Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour 2011.

"Attendance in 2010 increased significantly, so we are pleased to be adding new locations this year," commented Mr. Niemand, sponsor, The Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wresting Technique Tour 2011. "We encourage all girls and young women interested in the burgeoning sport of women's wrestling to sign up and learn from a champion in an encouraging, fun environment."

Former World Champion Van Dusen was one of only four women to represent the USA in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She is now the head coach of Menlo College women's wrestling team in Atherton CA, the first intercollegiate wrestling program to have a female head coach.
Following is the 2011 schedule and primary contact's email address. For more information please visit http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=4
-          March 5 - New York City, NY -  Cheryl Wong, cwong@beat-the-streets.org
-          March 26 - Oklahoma City, OK - Archie Randall,arandall@okcu.edu
-          April 17 - Frisco, TX - Monica Allen, mmharris@azleisd.net
-          May 14 - Kissimmee, FL - John Lawton, JL1100f@aol.com
-          May 21 - West Covina, CA - Shirley Stephens, mamaduck333@gmail.com
-          July 17 - Fargo, ND -  Vladislav Izboinikov- Izzy@USAWrestling.org

About Arno Niemand
Mr. Niemand is a 1956 graduate of Cornell, where he was on the wrestling team. He was later inducted into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. He went on to earn his MBA in 1958 from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia. Throughout his life, Mr. Niemand has continued to support the sport of wrestling, and in 2008 received the FILA Gold Star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. In 2009, he inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, earning the Order of Merit. 

As previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc., Niemand has sponsored the USA Wrestling Women's National Team since 2003.

Niemand recently wrote and published, "The Dream Team of 1947," a new book chronicling the extraordinary story of the 1947 wrestling team of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, which is available at Amazon.com and select book stores. More details can be found at http://dreamteam47.com. 

Follow women's wrestling activities on www.usawrestlingnation.com and www.themat.com.
###
Note to editors: For a review copy of the Niemand's new book or for an interview with Mr. Niemand or Ms. Van Dusen, please contact Marilyn Kroner at Kroner Communications - mkroner@kronercommunications.com.
USA Wrestling Weekly Broadcast to Air Updated News and Features Every Week

USA Wrestling Weekly, a new half-hour news broadcast, will be produced on a weekly basis starting last week.

It is presented in a news format, and will provide updated information on USA Wrestling activities, as well as a variety of feature segments.

The show is moderated by veteran wrestling broadcaster Scott Casber and is scheduled for distribution each Friday.

"USA Wrestling is extremely excited about this new product," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender." We are confident it will provide an additional platform to promote athletes and tell the USA Wrestling story worldwide."

The first episode was released last Friday, and will be available for viewing on TheMat.com, which is USA Wrestling's website. It will also be posted on USA Wrestling's YouTube Channel and archived on USA Wrestling's UStream Channel.

In addition, USA Wrestling Weekly will be offered to a variety of websites, and will also be available to television networks across the nation.

News items about USA Wrestling will be extensive, including updates on Team USA, international and national events, new and exciting programs and much more. Included in many of these news reports will be video footage and audio clips.

Regular features will also be included in the show. The Wrestling Greats segment will tell the story of a past or present American wrestling star, featuring action footage. The Technique segment will provide quality instruction on wrestling moves and strategy designed to help current wrestlers to improve their performance.

USA Wrestling staff will participate extensively in creating the content for the show.

The production of USA Wrestling Weekly is handled by Takedown Wrestling Media, which produces a variety of other wrestling and sports broadcast products. The Lead Producer for the show is Shawn Van Leeuwen of Takedown Wrestling Media.

Wrestling fans are encouraged to visit TheMat.com and other media outlets on a weekly basis to find out what is going on with USA Wrestling.

Feedback is encouraged, and should be sent to Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at gabbott@usawrestling.org.
NAIA Rallies to beat NCWA in See-Saw Battle 23-15 at American Airlines ChallengeBy JC Carnahan


ORLANDO, Fla. - The NAIA swept the final three matches to come from behind and defeat the NCWA, 23-15, Saturday at the second annual American Airlines Champions Challenge. The first-of-its-kind dual match showcased many of the top wrestlers from each association, with six NAIA All-Americans and four NCWA wrestlers who competed for national titles last year within their respective lineups.

The NCWA grabbed a 15-13 lead after the 174-pound match when Kevin Bacci of West Chester (Pa.) pinned Jameon Rush of Hastings College (Neb.). But a trio of Missouri Valley College wrestlers - Jesse Alter (184), Charles Gibbs (197) and Travis Ewart (285) - posted wins in the final three weight classes to seal another NAIA win at The Venue on the campus of the University of Central Florida.

The NAIA won last year's inaugural event, 39-3.

"It's a great chance for both divisions to see each other and it's a good opportunity for the guys to get better on both sides," Morningside College coach Jake Stevenson said. "The more we can promote it the better it is for the sport."

Stevenson worked the corner for the NAIA team along with Brian Jackson (Missouri Baptist) and Patrick Giangrasso (Missouri Valley). Jason Balma (of UCF), Jovon Butler (Apprentice School) and John Petty (California Baptist) coached the NCWA team.

The Bacci-Rush match was one of the headlining matchups going into the event, as it was a rematch of last year's 174-pound thriller that saw Rush (No. 6 in NAIA) hand Bacci a 4-3 loss in triple overtime. The loss became a turning point for Bacci, as he went on to win the NCWA national championship.

"By the end of last year I'd grown by leaps and bounds," Bacci said after Saturday's match. "After getting more and more training I was a little more ready to come back out here and get it done this time."

Bacci's pin at 2:55 of the first period put the NCWA ahead, 15-13. It was the only pin of the 10 matches.

"I knew I needed to get some big points there because this thing was going to be pretty close," Bacci said.

It would be the last of four wins by the NCWA (one came by injury default), but taking the lead that late in a dual match it lost by 36 points last year spoke volumes for the NCWA's development against its well-established brethren.

"The better we do here the better our reputation is and the better our credibility holds," Bacci said of the event.

Most of the competitors taking part wrestled with a similar mentality. The meet got off to a spirited start as the teams split the first four matches in competitive fashion.

A 12-10 win at 125 pounds by Paulie Hansen (Missouri Valley College) against Alex Chiracosta (UCF) came by way of a takedown in overtime. Chiracosta trailed by six at one point but clawed his way back with a near-fall in the closing seconds to tie the match at 10-10.

UCF's Steve DeAugustino, ranked No. 2 in the NCWA at 133 pounds, followed with a tough 8-5 win against Anton Prater (Missouri Baptist). DeAugustino broke a 4-4 tie by scoring a takedown with 40 seconds remaining.

"Half of the reward for coming out here for this meet is you're guaranteed solid competition," DeAugustino said. "Any chance we can get to wrestle up against some tough competition, I'm all for it."

Morningside (Iowa) senior Drew Smith scored a 1-0 win over junior Kendall Albert of Kennesaw State in a battle of each association's fourth-ranked 141-pounders. An escape with 25 seconds to go in the third period proved to be enough for Smith.

California Baptist sophomore Christopher Santana ended his 149-pound match in the second period leading Danny Hutcheson of Dakota Wesleyan by a 5-1 count. Santana, the NCWA's top-ranked wrestler in that class, scored a takedown and a near-fall before Hutcheson withdrew due to injury.

From there, the NAIA began flexing its muscle as Brad Cusatis (Hastings) defeated Ricky Anderson (Apprentice), 12-2, at 157 pounds, and Morningside sophomore Joe Sievert defeated Dustin Tancredi of West Chester, 8-2, in the 165-pound class to put the NAIA ahead, 13-9, with six of the 10 matches in the books.

"These guys that we're going against, they have everything to lose as opposed to us," Santana said. "That's pretty big on their part. Thanks to them we've got the opportunity to show what we've got."

Bacci's pin put the NCWA in front for the moment, but the lead changed for good when Alter (ranked No. 4 in the NAIA) pulled a reversal in the closing seconds of the 184-pound match, earning a 5-3 win over South Carolina's Ben Brummel.

The pair of Missouri Valley seniors closed the win as Gibbs defeated Richard Rippy (UCF), 11-4, and Travis Ewart beat Brian Milford (Texas A&M), 11-3.

The quality of matches by each association proved to be a step in the right direction for the event organizers. The NCWA aims to include wrestlers from NCAA's Division II and Division III programs for next year's gathering.

"I see this continuing to grow," NCWA Executive Director Jim Giunta said. "Both of these associations have taken it a little more serious in terms of sending better coaches and athletes, and I anticipate it getting even better."

2011 American Airlines Champions Challenge
Sat., Jan. 15, at The Venue in Orlando, Fla.
Match Results
125 lbs. - Paulie Hansen, Missouri Valley, def. Alex Chiracosta, Central Florida, 12-10 (OT)
NAIA leads 3-0
133 lbs. - Steve DeAugustino, Central Florida, def. Anton Prater, Missouri Baptist, 8-5
tied 3-3
141 lbs. - Drew Smith, Morningside (Iowa), def. Kendall Albert, Kennesaw State (Ga.), 1-0
NAIA leads 6-3
149 lbs. - Christopher Santana, California Baptist, def. Danny Hutcheson, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), injury default
NCWA leads 9-6
157 lbs. - Brad Cusatis, Hastings (Neb.), def. Ricky Anderson, Apprentice (Va.), 12-2
NAIA leads 10-9
165 lbs. - Joe Sievert, Morningside (Iowa), def. Dustin Tancredi, West Chester (Pa.), 8-2
NAIA leads 13-9
174 lbs. - Kevin Bacci, West Chester (Pa.), def. Jameon Rush, Hastings (Neb.), by fall 2:55
NCWA leads 15-13
184 lbs. - Jesse Alter, Missouri Valley, def. Ben Brummel, South Carolina, 5-3
NAIA leads 16-15
197 lbs. - Charles Gibbs, Missouri Valley, def. Richard Rippy, Central Florida, 11-4
NAIA leads 19-15
285 lbs. - Travis Ewart, Missouri Valley, def. Brian Milford, Texas A&M, 11-3
NAIA wins, 23-15

AA Challenge history
2010 - NAIA 39, NCWA 3
2011 - NAIA 23, NCWA 15
Jordan Junior Wrestlers Rain on the Thunder Classic

(Sandy, Utah) Dec. 11, 2010 - Twenty-five members of Jordan Junior Wrestling competed in the Thunder Classic folkstyle wrestling tournament held at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs. Of the 25 young athletes, 14 made it to the finals, with six winning championships, and one member was named an Outstanding Wrestler.

"This was a great followup tournament to the opener," said Coach Bill Kilpack. "With some of the kids, it was almost like they were completely different people from last week. It's really amazing to see that kind of growth and improvement that can take place from one weekend to the next."

Finishing with gold medals were six wrestlers: Rhett Bonner of Draper, 7th-9th Grade 75 lbs.; Alex Maxwell of Sandy, 7th-9th Grade 104 lbs.; Jackson Babka of Draper, 5th-6th Grade 108 lbs.; Spencer Maxwell of Sandy, 3rd-4th Grade 75 lbs.; Trever Glaubensklee of Sandy, 3rd-4th Grade 55 lbs.; and Kyle Wood of Riverton, Pre-K-K 40 lbs.

Alex Maxwell was also named an Outstanding Wrestler, for pinning every opponent and not allowing a single point to be scored against him.

Also reaching the finals were Jordan Miles of Sandy, 7th-9th Grade 128 lbs.; brothers Ethan and Kayden Wood of Riverton, Ethan at 3rd-4th Grade 60 lbs., Kayden at 3rd-4th Grade 65 lbs.; Zach Warren of Saratoga Springs, 3rd-4th 75 lbs; Payton Heninger of Saratoga Springs, 3rd-4th Grade 60 lbs.; Gavin Dockstader of Riverton, 3rd-4th Grade 78 lbs.; brothers Ethan and Kayden Wood of Riverton, Ethan at 2nd-3rd Grade 60 lbs, Kayden at 4th-5th Grade 70 lbs.; and Payton Heninger of Saratoga Springs, 4th-5th Grade 65 lbs.; Kelly Glaubensklee of Sandy, 3rd-4th Grade 70 lbs.; and Weston Nielsen of Bluffdale, Pre-K-K 50 lbs.

Finishing with bronze were six young wrestlers: brothers Trent and Wade McMillan of South Jordan, Trent at 7th-9th Grade 83 lbs., Wade at 5th-6th Grade 95 lbs.; Joey Revelli of West Jordan, 7th-9th Grade 75 lbs.; Hayden Heninger of Saratoga Springs, 7th-9th Grade 86 lbs.; Brian Morris of Bluffdale, 5th-6th Grade 85 lbs.; and Kahlil Preston of Salt Lake City, 5th-6th Grade 130 lbs.

Receiving fourth-place medals were Roland Schoenweis of West Jordan, 7th-9th Grade 138 lbs.; Marshall Adams of Cottonwood Heights, 7th-9th Grade 112 lbs.; Alex Miller of Draper, 5th-6th Grade 96 lbs.; Alex Carpenter of South Jordan, Pre-K-K 50 lbs.; and Alex Antonio, Pre-K-K 35 lbs.

"Each match saw great improvement," said Coach Darrin Nielsen. "A bunch won their first matches; others improved in areas of weakness we noticed the week before. It was a great day of wrestling."

Jordan Junior Wrestling is a folkstyle wrestling program offered through Salt Lake County Recreation, operating out or Jordan High School in Sandy. The middle school/junior high team is for grades five through nine; the elementary team is for grades four and younger. For more information, go to www.jordanjuniorwrestling.com or email ordanjuniors@aol.com.
Tom Sculley Set to Receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award

Thomas B. Sculley, Jr, Chief Operations Officer for the Henson Group will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in April 2011, receiving the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. Sculley was a 1974 NCAA Division I National Champion while attending Lehigh University and has continued to give back to the sport of Wrestling.

The Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award recognizes individuals who have devoted a lifetime of service to wrestling, their communities and most importantly the young wrestlers they have coached, taught, motivated and inspired throughout their careers as coaches, officials and contributors. All of the honorees have more than twenty years of service to the sport of wrestling. In addition to being honored at the banquet, the recipients will have their names permanently enshrined in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Sculley is a shareholder and the Chief Operations Officer for Henson Group, the manufacturer of Brute and adidas wrestling products. In addition to helping produce innovative new products to the market, Sculley is heavily involved in the wrestling community and is committed to helping grow the sport of wrestling.

Sculley joins three other members of the Henson Group ownership in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Stillwater, OK.  Company founder and Olympic Bronze medalist Josiah Henson and Arthur Martori, SunKist Kids are both Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Additionally, Henson Group CEO John Purnell was inducted into the Hall as the 2008 Pennsylvania Chapter’s Outstanding American.

Henson Group is located in Sinking Spring, PA and is the exclusive distributor for Brute Wrestling, adidas Wrestling, adidas Lacrosse, adidas Field Hockey, and NeuEdge Sportswear.  

About Henson / Brute and adidas Wrestling
As the first U.S. company to sell wrestling products by mail order, Henson Wrestling began in 1967 as the Henson Company, Inc. in the residence of it's founder, Captain Josiah Henson. Today under the trade name, Brute Wrestling, the company continues to provide a complete line of top quality wrestling products and apparel to sporting goods dealers for amateur and professional athletic clubs and teams; and other buyers all over North America. Since 1993, Brute has been the exclusive distributor of adidas wrestling products for North and South America. The Brute/adidas relationship has been extremely successful, and will continue to prove itself as the favored choice of top athletes and coaches. For more information on Brute wrestling visit http://brute.com/

Takedown Radio's Guest lineup for Saturday November 20th

Des Moines, Iowa

Hello Wrestling Fans its All Star Classic Weekend! Scott Casber and LSV's Westbrook Shortell take the Brute Adidas studios of TDR LIVE from Fresno, California. Ryan Freeman and Geoff Murtha will air LIVE from Clinton, Iowa and the Wildrose Resort for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services. See below for release and schedule on All Star Classic Broadcast!

This weeks show airs LIVE, 9 AM to 11 AM. Listen on radio or on the computer or your Blackberry or I Phone with the I Heart Radio App. (Click on KXNO under Sportsradio)

Our Guests Include:  (All times Central)

9:01       Mark DiSalvo- Assist Coach Central Michigan
9:20 Adam Tirapelle- NCAA Champ Illinois (Live in our California Studios)
9:40       Gerry Abas- Assist Coach. Cal State Bakersfield

10:01 Dan Wirnsberger- Head Coach Bucknell University Bison
10:20     Jeff Murphy- Kemin's Big 10 and Big 12 report and Murphy's Top 20 Breakdown
               515-491-7750

10:50     Maureen Roshar- Wildrose Resort    
Wrestling fans- Episode 84 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings.  

How to watch and listen-

TDR and TDR TV.         It's appointment Radio and TV!  6.1 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING!

TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan,

TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM

                                   Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 (Check Local Listings)
                                  
                                   Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30, Sat's 10 PM, Tues 11 PM

                                   Long Lines Cable NW Iowa, NE Nebraska, SE South Dakota- Ch 75
                                   Premiers November 19th Friday at 6:00 Sunday's at 4:00 Monday's at 7:00

                                   Time Warner Texas- Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Etc. -TBA

                                   Time Warner Southern California- Los Angeles, San Diego, Etc. -TBA

                                   Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV, It works!

TDR on Internet:          You can join us 9 to 11 AM CST Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com

TDR TV On Internet:     32 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our growing family of affiliates and our media partners at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks to you for watching and listening!


Press Release All Star Classic
LSV and TDR to LIVE Stream NWCA All Star Classic Sunday

SYRACUSE, N.Y. November 3, 2010 - Takedown Wrestling Media's Scott Casber, Olympic Silver medalist and 3 time NCAA Division One Champion Stephen Abas and 2001 NCAA
Champion Adam Tirapelle will have the call at the 45th Annual All-Star Classic, live, from the Selland Arena in Fresno, California.

On November, 21 at 2:00 PM, Pacific time, twenty of the preseason's top ranked wrestlers will face off, in order to help save California wrestling. All proceeds from this year's web cast will go directly to the Save California Wrestling Fund. Make sure to not miss a minute of some of the best preseason wrestling in the nation, LIVE and online.

Live action from the event will be available on LiveSportsVideo.com for a pay-per-view subscription of $7.00. <http://www.livesportsvideo.com/golive/goliveevents.asp?q=NWCA>Click here to order and watch the games.

Based in Syracuse, N.Y., LiveSportsVideo.com was founded by Bob Feldmeier, Sr. and Jake Feldmeier, both former student-athletes at Princeton, and holds U.S. Patent Number 7,340,765 for streaming and archiving sports online. Any wrestling program choosing to stream their content online can utilize this service for free. Please Contact Westbrook Shortell for more information.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs. The membership embraces all people who are interested in amateur wrestling.
Long Lines Cable to Air TDR TV in Eastern Nebraska, Western Iowa and SW South Dakota

Des Moines, Iowa Takedown Wrestling Media and Long Lines Cable have established a relationship that will bring the popular TDR TV amateur wrestling program to more than 18,000 homes in Eastern Nebraska, Western Iowa and SW South Dakota area. TDR TV's national audience is now estimated at 6.18 Million homes.

TDR TV's will air on Long Lines Cable Channel 75,  Friday's at 6:00 p.m.

Sunday's at 4:00 p.m.   Monday's at 7:00 p.m  starting Friday November 19th , 2010

TDR TV is a 30-minute weekly TV news program covering all aspects of amateur wrestling in the U.S. Host Scott Casber updates viewers on the latest developments in high school, college and international wrestling, conducts insightful interviews with the sport's top wrestlers and coaches, and shares his passion for the "oldest and greatest sport" in a fun, fast-paced show. TDR TV is already available on the Mediacom cable TV system serving six Midwestern states, Time Warner Sports NY, Comcast Cable in Tennessee and other systems  and can be viewed online at <http://www.takedownradio.com/>www.TakedownRadio.com and at over thirty other affiliated amateur wrestling web sites.

"Long Lines Cable distribution area is a hotbed for championship wrestling at both the high school and collegiate levels," said Long Lines Vice President Bill Gaukel.  "We're excited to be adding Takedown Wrestling Media's news program, TDR TV, for all of our subscribers who appreciate this outstanding and demanding sport."

Casber, founder of Takedown Wrestling Media, said, "This is another  important step forward for athletes, coaches and fans of wrestling across the country. Long Lines Cable is a historical name in the business. They also understand the wrestling community. We view this is a very special opportunity to partner with Long Lines Cable in the distribution of TDR TV."

"Long Lines Cable will present our weekly program in the heartland where high school and collegiate wrestling has no equal. The broadcast area is home to a number of great programs like University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska, Iowa State, Buena Vista, Morningside, Briar Cliff, Trinity and many others," said Casber. "In addition, we'll now have a deep penetration in a part of the country that features some of the best high school wrestling programs in the nation."

About Takedown Wrestling Media

Takedown Wrestling Media was started 13 year ago as a single one-hour radio program broadcast from Clear Channel's KXNO studios in Des Moines. TDR quickly added Internet distribution of its audio format and over time began to broadcast live events along with its weekly program. Founder Scott Casber is well-known throughout the wrestling community, speaking to wrestling groups around the country and promoting the sport wherever he can. TDR TV was born as an addition to the radio program, initially available only on the Internet, but now available on 31 different web sites, as well as in six Midwest states through its distribution on Mediacom Cable. More information can be found at: Takedownradio.com

About Long Lines Cable

At Long Lines®, we earn customer loyalty through our service and support. We bring the latest innovations in telecommunications right into your home - from High Definition television to High Speed Internet and Wireless service. We also believe in investing in our communities, through our giveBACK program. We benefit the communities where we live and work through our volunteerism, local event sponsorships and charitable donations.

Long Lines is a locally owned company that has been serving Siouxland communities for over 65 years. Advanced technology and the use of high-speed fiber optic networks has earned them a well-deserved reputation for quality and reliability in the telecommunications industry.

Long Lines is Accessible. Their experienced Customer Care representatives are available to assist you with any issues you may encounter. You can receive the personal touch that Long Lines offers by talking directly to a representative.

Long Lines is Flexible, providing all the services to meet your communication needs. Build and customize your own plan or bundle of services to create the package that is right for you.

Long Lines is Convenient allowing you to Save time and money by having all of your communication services on one simple bill.

Long Lines is Community-driven and dedicated to the places where you live and work. Long Lines takes pride in being a responsible corporate citizen through our volunteerism, charitable donations and local event sponsorships.
Philadelphia Beat the Streets -Launches Ambitious Expansion

Beat the Streets- Philadelphia
Philadelphia launched its inaugural program in 2009 with one wrestling team. They will begin this year with an ambitious expansion of wrestling. The organizing group has a tremendous group of people and sponsors to help expand wrestling in the City of Brotherly Love.

Benjamin Franklin would have been very proud of what began in 1774 when he wrote the thesis for the City of Philadelphia Education Proposal to the City leaders. What foresight the man had……..
Wrestling was to be one of the sports for kids to participate in building strength and endurance.

America Truly Needs Wrestling especially in today's current economic crisis. Leaders usually rise during hard times!
BTS Philly Youth Clinic prior to 2011 NCAA Division I Championships
Beat the Streets Wrestling Program Philadelphia has partnered with the NCAA and the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Local Organizing Committee to sponsor a youth clinic to be held at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday March 17, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. This clinic will be geared toward promoting the benefits of participation in the sport of wrestling in addition to specific instruction from a number of well known clinicians. This will be an opportunity for many youth within our sponsored programs to learn from individuals that have realized the benefits of the sport through firsthand experience. 

Daniel Gould, Ph.D., is scheduled to provide an interactive lesson with the youth in attendance to emphasize the life lessons that can be obtained through participation in the sport. Dr. Gould is a professor at Michigan State University and is the director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports. 

Brandon Slay, Matt Valenti, Doug Umbehauer and Adam Derengowski are slated to participate in the clinic and provide specific instruction to those in attendance. Brandon Slay was a 2x NCAA Runner-up for the University of Pennsylvania, an Olympic Gold Medalist and the current Freestyle Resident Coach at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Spring, Co. Matt Valenti was a 3x All-American and 2x NCAA Champion for the University of Pennsylvania where he is the current Assistant Wrestling Coach. Doug Umbehauer was an All-American while competing for Rider University. Adam Derengowski was also an All-American while competing for Rider University.

The combination of Dr. Gould and the group of scheduled clinicians will create an event that allows youth wrestlers that are part of programs sponsored by Beat the Streets Wrestling-Philadelphia to not only increase their technical knowledge of the sport, but also the transfer the mental skills they learn from wrestling to every day challenges. 
For more information:  www.btsphilly.org
Central Florida's Coach Jason Balma Talks About Recruiting to TDRTV

With recruiting budgets dwindling and coaches looking for quality athletes, it seems to me that RecruitAWrestler.com has the right idea at the right time. Many kids are going unnoticed and are not being recruited after high school. Coaches and kids need a place to meet up and communicate. They are doing that at RecruitAWrestler.com

Central Florida University Head Coach Jason Balma understands that many kids are just not blue chip prospects and for lack of "the connection" may not even know what colleges may offer wrestling. Many of the NCWA schools even have money available for wrestlers to attend.

On RecruitAWrestler.com
"I love this concept. The NCWA is truly for the student/athlete that wants to compete at a high level of wrestling quality yet concentrate on academic achievement. I also believe that every wrestler that wants to compete at the next level should have that opportunity. Most of our programs will offer you the chance to wrestle against a variety of divisions and compete at a level that will fulfill your desire to achieve your academic success and compete at the next level."

Jason Balma

Head Coach, Central Florida University
2010 NCWA Nat. Championship Coach

Listen to this interview with Coach Balma and I think you'll be surprised at what you hear.

Jason Balma.mp3

Note: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent sending or receiving certain types of file attachments. Check your e-mail security settings to determine how attachments are handled.
UFC Star and US Military Veteran All American Brian Stann Ready for Leben

Des Moines, Iowa

Our returning Men and Women of the Armed Forces have a very good  friend in UFC Star "All American" Brian Stann. The 185 competitor is not just a UFC fighter,  he's also the Executive Director of Hire Heroes USA. Stann's next big fight will be against UFC Veteran Chris "the Crippler" Leben January 1st, 2011

About Brian Stann: Brian comes to HHUSA from the United States Marine Corps, having left active duty in May 2008 as a Captain. He received his commission through the United States Naval Academy, where he excelled in football as a linebacker and earned a degree in Economics.  Brian's military career included two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Infantry Officer in both the Al Qaim and Habbiniyah regions.  In recognition of his valiant actions during an ambush by Iraqi insurgents, Brian was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third highest military honor.

As he neared the conclusion of his military service, Brian became increasingly involved with mixed martial arts.  He made his World Extreme Cagefighting debut in June 2006 and became the WEC Light Heavyweight champion in March 2008. Brian made his UFC debut in April 2009.

Brian is excited about the opportunity to lead the Hire Heroes USA team and looks forward to the continued success of the program.

http://www.brianstann.com/

About Hire Heroes USA:

Hire Heroes USA's (HHUSA) mission is to offer transition assistance, job search assistance, and job placement services to those who have honorably served in the US military - and to their spouses - in order to reduce veteran unemployment. HHUSA prioritizes veterans statistically most likely to be unemployed: veterans of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM, and veterans that are wounded or disabled.

As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, HHUSA's services are provided at no cost to the veteran.

http://www.hireheroesusa.org/

Hire Heroes USA Vision:

Maintain the Nation's most effective veteran transition and employment assistance program, modeling a process that will drastically decrease the unemployment rate of the men and women who served this country."

Hire Heroes USA Core Values:

Integrity

Innovation

Compassion

Confidence

Commitment

Hire Heroes USA "Creating the Opportunity."

The transition back into civilian life can be challenging for service men and women, especially those wounded or disabled.  As they seek to establish new civilian careers, many young veterans find themselves behind their peers and counterparts in terms of employment experience and networking in the civilian sector.

The services HHUSA offers to our returning service members - our Heroes - help ease the transition into civilian life and ensure these selfless men and women have the opportunity to enjoy the freedoms they fought to preserve.

A personal approach facilitates matching of the career interests, qualifications and transferable skills of veterans with the needs of hiring companies partnering with HHUSA to fill job openings.
Takedown Radio's Guest lineup for Saturday November 13th

Des Moines, Iowa

Hello Wrestling Fans The season has started! Scott Casber and Steve Foster return along with Ryan Freeman and Geoff Murtha to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services.

This weeks show airs LIVE, 9 AM to 11 AM. Listen on air or on the computer or your Blackberry or I Phone with the I Heart Radio App.

Our Guests Include:  (All times Central)

9:01 Jake Herbert- Assist. Head Coach Northwestern

9:20 Jared Frayer- Assist. Coach Wisconsin

9:40       Steve Knight- Founder Excel Wrestling to discuss the Excel Wrestling "Hall of Heroes"
            and Les Anderson's Induction    <http://www.excelwrestling.com/fallcamp_dinner.html>http://www.excelwrestling.com/fallcamp_dinner.html
thewrestlingsite.com and Recruitawrestler.com
           
10:01 Jim Heffernan- Head Coach University of Illinois

10:20     Jeff Murphy- Kemin's Big 10 and Big 12 report and Murphy's Top 20 Breakdown

10:50     Amy Ruble- Wildrose Resort  
Wrestling fans- Episode 83 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings.  

How to watch and listen-

TDR and TDR TV.         It's appointment Radio and TV!  6.1 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING!

TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan,

TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM

                                   Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 (Check Local Listings)
                                  
                                   Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30, Sat's 10 PM, Tues 11 PM

                                   Time Warner Texas- Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Etc. -TBA

                                   Time Warner Southern California- Los Angeles, San Diego, Etc. -TBA

                                   Long Lines Cable NW Iowa, NE Nebraska, SE South Dakota- TBA 

                                   Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV, It works!

TDR on Internet:          You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com

TDR TV On Internet:     32 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!
Branded Short Film for Wrestlers, by Wrestlers

TUCSON, AZ. - November 5, 2010. Crown Chimp Productions, a National Addy award-winning filmmaking team, recently created a short film for the Brute and adidas line of wrestling products. This five-minute extended length commercial titled "More Than A Sport" focuses on the lives of three wrestlers: their individual resolve, the contributions of their family, and the lasting impact of this all-encompassing sport.

After winning national recognition for their first Brute-adidas wrestling commercial entitled "Six Minutes", Crown Chimp's Owner, Nickolas Duarte, was the obvious choice to best represent the world of wrestling; not only from the standpoint of a company that creates quality products for wrestling, but of the wrestlers themselves. Duarte, the writer/director of both commercials is able to delve into his own experiences as a wrestler and bring the passion, the sacrifice, and the heart of the sport to the screen--pulling the viewer along to the depths that few get to see.

With a cast and crew of over 60 people, Duarte led the Crown Chimp team through an incredibly rigorous shoot-both mentally and physically. "We had one poor guy out in 105 degree Arizona heat with a stocking cap and sweatshirt on, chopping wood for us, pretending he was in a Mid West winter" said Duarte. "And the worst part is, we didn't even use that footage. But he was a great sport-they all were". When asked about his thoughts on his latest work, he replied "I am very happy with it. Media companies, whether it's advertising or entertainment, rarely have a true understanding of the sport. Though filming this piece at my old school helped to put me back in the memory of a wrestling, the absolute truth is-for anyone who's ever truly wrestled-you never really leave that mindset. I'm honored for us to be able to give a piece like this to the wrestling community, and I hope it's something all wrestlers can be proud of."

Crown Chimp has been in business since 2008, and has a variety of quality commercials and short films in their portfolio. Their independent film work has been featured in festivals locally, nationally and internationally. Their commercial work has earned multiple awards, including a National Addy for Commercial Cinematography in 2010.
LiveSportsVideo and TDR TV To Broadcast 45th NWCA ALL Star Classic LIVE

SYRACUSE, N.Y. November 3, 2010 - Takedown Wrestling Media's Scott Casber, Olympic Silver medalist and 3 time NCAA Division One Champion Stephen Abas and 2001 NCAA Champion Adam Tirapelle will have the call at the 45th Annual All-Star Classic, live, from the Selland Arena in Fresno, California.

On November, 21 at 2:00 PM, Pacific time, twenty of the preseason's top ranked wrestlers will face off, in order to help save California wrestling. All proceeds from this year's web cast will go directly to the Save California Wrestling Fund. Make sure to not miss a minute of some of the best preseason wrestling in the nation, LIVE and online.

Live action from the event will be available on LiveSportsVideo.com for a pay-per-view subscription of $7.00. <http://www.livesportsvideo.com/golive/goliveevents.asp?q=NWCA>Click here to order and watch the games.

Based in Syracuse, N.Y., LiveSportsVideo.com was founded by Bob Feldmeier, Sr. and Jake Feldmeier, both former student-athletes at Princeton, and holds U.S. Patent Number 7,340,765 for streaming and archiving sports online. Any wrestling program choosing to stream their content online can utilize this service for free. Please Contact Westbrook Shortell for more information.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs. The membership embraces all people who are interested in amateur wrestling.
New Adam Frey Book - 'Hot Off the Press'

My latest book of stories, "Adam Frey: A Collection of Blogs and Stories" is just now available for purchase.

Adam Frey was a gifted college student and a skilled wrestler at Cornell University who was diagnosed with Stage III testicular cancer in April, 2008. As he embarked on 21 months of treatments, Adam began writing a remarkable blog that eloquently reveals his spirit in helping others as he gallantly fought this terrible disease.

I have selected and lightly edited about half of these blogs and have intertwined them with first-hand stories of Adam's life as told by those family members and friends closest to him. From a wrestling standpoint, stories are told by some of Adam's coaches (Bob Siar, Jeff Buxton, Ray Brinzer, Rob Koll) and teammates such as Hudson Taylor, Mario Mason and Jordan Leen, as well as many other friends.

As Adam would have wanted, all proceeds from the book are going directly to the non-profit Adam Frey Foundation, which Adam founded to give comfort and provide enjoyment for those receiving treatment for cancer.

The cost of the book is $19.95, plus $5.05 for Priority Mail shipping for a total of $25. To purchase, make out your check or money order to the Adam Frey Foundation and mail to me, Jamie Moffatt(author), 806 Sewell Ave., Cape May, NJ 08204.

Yours truly,

Jamie Moffatt
TDR to Broadcast V-Tech Vs. ISU, ISU Vs. Kent State and Hokie Open This Weekend

This weekend TDR LIVE from V the Salem Center for Virginia Tech's Hokie Open, Virginia Tech vs. ISU, ISU vs. Kent State
Takedown Radio for Saturday and Sunday November 6th and 7th
Des Moines, Iowa

Hello Wrestling Fans its starts this weekend. This weekend the Brute Adidas studios hit the road. We are the guests of Virginia Tech's Kevin Dresser and Tony Robie brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods.  We'll post the broadcast schedule below.  

Saturday, Join Scott Casber, special guest hosts Wade Schalles and D1CollegeWrestling.net's Earl Smith for the traditional radio show and then for the 2 scheduled matches in the afternoon. 

Sunday, Join Scott Casber, special guest hosts Wade Schalles and D1CollegeWrestling.net's Earl Smith for the call on feature matches through the Hokie Open.

Saturday November 6th- Schedule
10:00 AM to 12 Noon    Radio Program- Our Guests Include:  (All times Eastern)

                                   9:01    Joe Bastardi- PSU Wrestling Insider
                                   9:20    Jeff Murphy- Kemin Report, Big 10 and Big 12 Preview
                                   Balance of the show will be coaches participating in the matches of the day.

1:30 PM                        Pre Game Show with Wade Schalles and Earl Smith
2:00 PM                        Virginia Tech vs. Iowa State
4:00 PM                        Iowa State vs. Kent State

Sunday November 7th- Schedule
10:00 AM to End of The Hokie Open                                        (All times Eastern)

                                   Wade Schalles, Scott Casber, Earl Smith will highlight matchups throughout the
                                   The Hokie Open Tournament.
                                  
Our thanks to Kevin Dresser, Tony Robie and the staff at Virginia Tech for the invitation and the opportunity to deliver to you fans a weekend of coverage free of charge.   

Visit our friends at Livesportsvideo.com, enter your password information and watch the matches.          

Wrestling fans- Episode 82 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings.  

How to watch and listen-

TDR and TDR TV.         It's appointment Radio and TV!  6.1 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING!

TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan,

TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM

                                   Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 (Check Local Listings)
                                  
                                   Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30, Sat's 10 PM, Tues 11 PM

                                   Time Warner Texas- Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Etc. -TBA

                                   Time Warner Southern California- Los Angeles, San Diego, Etc. -TBA

                                   Long Lines Cable NW Iowa, NE Nebraska, SE South Dakota- TBA 

                                   Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV, It works!

TDR on Internet:          You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com

TDR TV On Internet:     32 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners at Livesportsvideo.com. Thanks for watching and listening!
Takedown Radio's Guest Lineup for Saturday October 30th

Des Moines, Iowa

Hello Wrestling Fans its almost here. The season! I'll be announcing the SOLD OUT  USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals at the University of Northern Iowa for Brian Keck this weekend. Steve Foster will return to the helm of the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods.

Join Steve Foster, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Randy Crimmins. Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services. This weeks show will be split, 9 AM to 10 AM and then 11 AM to 12 Noon. Now back to the days show:

Our Guests Include:  (All times Central)

9:01 Mark Manning- Head Coach of Nebraska- 1 Season away from the Big 10
9:20 Wade Shalles- Why never bet against Iowa
9:40       Mike Clayton- Head Coach- Stevens Institute of Technology. 18th in the NWCA D III
           Brute-Adidas preseason poll - the school's highest-ever ranking in 91 years.

1 Hour Break

11:01     Les Anderson- To be inducted Nov. 14th in the Excel Wrestling "Hall of Heroes" 
               http://www.excelwrestling.com/fallcamp_dinner.html
11:20     Steve Garland- Head Coach University of Virginia
11:40     Roger Moore- Voice of the Cowboys of Oklahoma State
10:50     Amy Williams- Wildrose Resort  

Wrestling fans- Episode 81 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check your TV Guide for listings.  

How to watch and listen-

TDR and TDR TV.         It's appointment Radio and TV!  4.5 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING!

TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan,

TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM

                                   Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 (Check Local Listings)
                                  
                                   Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   Western Reserve Ohio Cable Ch. 9 Fridays at 5:30, Sat's 10 PM, Tues 11 PM

                                   Time Warner Texas- Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Etc. -TBA

                                   Time Warner Southern California- Los Angeles, San Diego, Etc. -TBA

                                   Long Lines Cable NW Iowa, NE Nebraska, SE South Dakota- TBA 

                                   Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV, It works!

TDR on Internet:          You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com

TDR TV On Internet:     32 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners at Livesportsvideo.com.
Thanks for watching and listening!
P.C. Olympic Champions Given Tribute Saturday

By LOUISE ABERCROMBIE

News Staff Writer

A world class event honoring two wrestlers, who put Ponca City on the world stage, was held Saturday night as wrestling luminaries from across the nation gathered here to pay tribute to Doug Blubaugh and Shelby Wilson, 1960 gold medal winners. As a tribute to these two Olympic stars, statues of them, sculpted by John Free of Pawhuska, were unveiled as a climax of an evening filled with tributes.

Master of ceremonies WBBZ announcer Phil Turney announced the statues will be permanently placed in the Allen Robson field house on the second floor and mementoes and literature about the achievements of Blubaugh and Wilson are to be part of a special display.

Prior to unveiling the statues the audience was entertained by the gold medal winners themselves who expressed appreciation to Ponca City and the people who made possible the banquet and the statues. A large delegation of the Wilson and Blubaugh families was on hand for the event. Blubaugh lives here and Wilson resides in Indiana.

When the Gold Medal winners took to the stage themselves the audience gave them a standing ovation. Blubaugh exhibited his sense of humor and Wilson told of his allegiance to God and how he had lived his life. Wilson gave the invocation for the event. Both men said they were "humbled" by the evening and by the statues.

A roster of special speakers connected with wrestling told their inspirational stories about Wilson and Blubaugh and how being associated with them changed their lives. Mike Chapman, wrestling author of 21 books, and author of a book "Legends of the Mat," which includes a section on Blubaugh, started the evening, followed by Russ Hellickson, 16 year Wisconsin coach and 20 years Ohio State coach. Next came Jack Duncan, National Wrestling Hall of Fame 1996; Jack Zindel, three time All American for Blubaugh at Michigan State and George Finley, who coached Blubaugh's sons in high school and was married by Wilson.

Another favorite speaker was Grady Peninger, who was the coach of Ponca City High School, coach of Blubaugh and Wilson. Peninger missed two planes and finally got into Oklahoma City to attend the event.

Other guests recognized were Mrs. Terry McCain, widow of Olympic gold medal winner Terry McCain; LeRoy Smith, Director of the National Hall of Fame Museum at Stillwater; Ponca City wrestling coaches including Pat Young and Chris Walker and 1952 graduate and wrestler Dick Batey, a state champion.

Mike Angle presented the long overdue World Outstanding Wrestler Award to Blubuagh. Another special presentation was arranged by Chuck Bowman of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, recognizing members of the 1953 wrestling team, Gene Mullin, Dick Seaborn, Shelby Wilson, Benard Sullivan, Doug Blubaugh and Ralph McClung.

During the evening Turney paid tribute to three men, who were supporters of Ponca City wrestling and recently lost their lives in a tornado in Canada. They were Dennis Kincaid, Stan Hollis and Bernie Jackson.

Jamie Nichols introduced the committee members who had put the event together, which took a year in the planning. Turney recognized the contributors funding the statues and the reception and dinner.

A meet and greet reception was held in the City Center building in late afternoon, and then the group moved to the hall at the First Baptist Church for a dinner catered by Stagecoach of Newkirk and served by the Ponca City High School Varsity Cheerleaders. Red and blue, the colors of Ponca City High School was the theme.
The Dream Team of 1947 by Arno Niemand is Now a Book

Every once in a while in the world of sport we are reminded about why we care. Arno Niemand's new book, "The Dream Team of 1947" tells the story of how a small Iowa College upset all the major powers to win the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 1947.

Niemand, a 14 year old school boy in 1948 recalls the tattered cover of the Life Magazine in his coaches office dated February 23 rd. The article was about then Cornell College Coach Paul K. Scott's improbable rise to the top in college sports most difficult competition, wrestling.

Niemand's new book will be available in time for Christmas and is a must read for all coaches and athletes in every sport. The Book again is "The Dream Team of 1947" by Arno Niemand
Available through the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.

http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/
Volunteers Needed for the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships

Competition to be held March 17-19 at Wells Fargo Center

PHILADELPHIA, PA - The 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which will be held at the Wells Fargo Center March 17-19, is seeking volunteers throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region to assist with logistics during the three-day competition.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to interact with thousands of fans attending the championships from throughout the country. 330 student-athletes from more than 60 programs will participate in the event. Volunteers will receive an event t-shirt for their contribution.

Volunteer opportunities include:
- Hotel Welcome Desks
- Assisting visitors with public transportation and other needs
- Staff support at the Wells Fargo Center
- Fan Fest at Lincoln Financial Field

To sign up for this opportunity, visit www.philadelphiausa.travel/form/wrestling_volunteer. For more information about the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia, please visit NCAA.com/wrestling.
Illinois Head Coach Mark Johnson Talks of 100 Years of Wrestling Celebration

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Illinois wrestling program announced Wednesday the 100 Years of Wrestling Celebration on Oct. 22-23 to welcome back all former Illini wrestlers to the UI campus. Head coach Jim Heffernan will be joined by former head coaches Mark Johnson and Tom Porter at the reunion.

"The fact that wrestling has existed at the University of Illinois for 100 years is something that should be celebrated," Heffernan said. "Beginning my 19th year on campus, I always look forward to the opportunity to spend time with our past student-athletes. It's also a great time for former wrestlers from previous eras to reconnect with the program and university. We're all looking forward to this event."

The weekend will start with a tour of the UI athletic facilities on Friday at 3 p.m., with an evening social activity following. On Saturday, the Illini wrestling team will hold a practice for those attending the reunion, followed by the 100th anniversary of Homecoming football game against Indiana at 11 a.m. The official 100 Years of Wrestling Celebration will be at 6 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Room at the Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building, where former Illini wrestlers can reconnect while checking out past photos and trophies, and sharing an open microphone.

Those wishing to register for the weekend's festivities should contact Chris Tuttle, director of the Varsity I Association, at 217.333.7777 or c-tuttle@illinois.edu.

About Mark Johnson

* Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year

* 1995 NWCA National Coach of the Year

A former Olympic wrestler and NCAA All-American, Mark Johnson begins his 17th season at the University of Illinois. During the Johnson tenure, Illinois has finished in the top10 at the NCAA championships on nine occasions and in the top 15 in 12 of the last 14 seasons. Johnson has led the Illinois program to more wins, NCAA champions, NCAA qualifiers and All-Americans than any coach in the school's history. He has compiled a 190-42-3 record over the last 16 years for an .815 winning percentage.

Johnson also has guided seven individual national champions in the last 14 seasons. In 2003, 165-pounder Matt Lackey joined Adam Tirapelle (149, 2001), John Lockhart (heavyweight, 2001), Carl Perry (141, 2000), Eric Siebert (150, 1998), Ernest Benion, Jr. (158, 1995) and Steve Marianetti (150, 1995) in earning NCAA titles under Johnson's tutelage.

For the second-straight season, Johnson had a pair of true-freshmen starters in 2007-08, with Ryan Prater (141) and Grant Paswall (149) turning in solid results throughout the season. But the Illini were led all season by Mike Poeta (157) and Jimmy Kennedy (133), who finished second and fourth, respectively, at the NCAA Championships. Poeta won his first Big Ten title after starting the season 22-0, while Kennedy put together an 11-match winning streak that included an undefeated Big Ten dual season.

In 2006-07, Johnson inserted two true-freshman into his starting lineup in Kennedy and John Dergo and got favorable results from both. Kennedy finished the season ranked No. 9 at 133 pounds and Dergo ended the year No. 11 at 184, marking the first time since Carl Perry in 1997 that at least one true-freshman ranked in the Top-20. They also were the first true-freshmen to be placed in the same lineup in the Mark Johnson era.

The Illini qualified eight for the NCAA Championships and were led by Mike Poeta, who notched a third-place finish at 157-pounds and garnered his first All-America honor.

In 2005-06, the Johnson tradition of excellence continued as the Illini took home their third-straight Midlands title, joining Iowa and Iowa State as the only three-peat champions. At Midlands, Alex Tirapelle (157) and Pete Freidl (184) took home individual titles, while Mike Poeta (165) and Tyrone Byrd (197) grappled to runner-up finishes. Rounding out the top-eight finishes for Illinois were Donny Reynolds (174) in fifth and Troy Tirapelle (149) in seventh.

At Big Tens, the Fighting Illini finished second, just behind then-No. 1 Minnesota. In all, five Orange and Blue grapplers (Byrd, Freidl, Kyle Ott, Alex Tirapelle and Troy Tirapelle) made conference finals appearances, each finishing second in their respective weight classes.

With the performance at the league tournament, the Illini became the only team in 2006 to qualify all 10 wrestlers for NCAAs in Oklahoma City, marking the third time in school history all 10 grapplers made the trip to NCAAs (1995, 2000, 2006). Freidl took home All-America honors with a third-place finish at the championships, finishing his career a three-time All-American, while Illinois finished 25th overall.

On the year, Illinois finished second during the regular season in the Big Ten with a 10-2-1 overall record and 5-2-1 ledger in conference action.

The 2005 squad brought home Johnson's first Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship, and the first for the program in 53 years. During that season, Johnson also garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year laurels, while Alex Tirapelle (157) and Friedl (174) took home individual league crowns out of five total finalists for the Illini. For the second season in a row, the Illini won the Big Ten regular-season dual meet title with a near-perfect 7-0-1 record. The team finished sixth at the national tournament after qualifying nine wrestlers, while 125-pounder Ott made a repeat appearance in the finals.

The team matched 2004's achievement of five All-Americans in Ott (2nd, 125), Mark Jayne (7th, 133), Cassio Pero (7th, 141), Friedl (4th, 174) and Brian Glynn (3rd, 184).

In what served as a benchmark for the Illini program, the 2004 season served as a year of firsts. Johnson led the team to a Big Ten regular-season dual meet title and a Midlands Tournament team title - the first in program history - and feats accomplished by no other coach in Illinois history. The squad concluded the season with a seventh-place finish at nationals, including a finals appearance by Ott at 125. The team brought home five All-America honors, a feat which tied 2004 national champion Oklahoma State, and was the most for Illinois since 1948.

During the 2003 season, Johnson took eight qualifiers to the NCAA Championships from a squad that had five freshmen competing most of the year. The 2003 team finished ninth overall with two national finalists.

Matt Lackey finished his climb up the ladder with his win in the finals over Troy Letters for his first national title. Freshman Adam Tirapelle became the first Illinois freshman to make the finals as he ensured All-America honors with his second-place finish.

In 2002, during a rebuilding year, Johnson led a reshaped starting lineup to a 12-4 record and 10th-place finish at nationals. With seven new starters, the Illini still managed to qualify nine wrestlers for NCAAs after a fifth-place finish at Big Tens, equaling the 2001 squad's NCAA representation. That year, the Illini crowned three All-Americans, following two straight seasons of awarding four All-Americans.

The Illinois wrestling team has progressively made school history year after year. In 2000, the team's sixth-place national finish was the best since 1958, only to be topped by the 2001 finish of fifth place, which was the highest since 1948. The 2001 team also took second at the Big Ten Championships, sending nine athletes to the NCAA Championships and placing ahead of national power Iowa for the first time in Johnson's career. For his coaching efforts in 2001, Johnson garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. The team posted a 12-2 dual meet record and Johnson became the school's all-time winningest coach during that season.

In 1996-97, Johnson led his team to a 14-1 dual meet record, a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a ninth-place effort at the NCAA Championships. At the time, his third-place outing became the best in school history in 39 years.

Johnson has guided 111 wrestlers to the NCAA championships over his tenure, an average of seven qualifiers each year. During the past 14 seasons, the Illini have crowned 40 All-Americans and produced seven national champions (out of 16 finalists).

Johnson earned National Coach of the Year honors from both the National Wrestling Coaches Association and W.I.N. Magazine in 1995 after posting a 13-2 dual record and a ninth-place finish at NCAAs.

On the recruiting front, Johnson has brought in nine classes ranked among the top 20 in the nation, including the second-ranked class in the nation in 1993 and the sixth-ranked group in 2004.

Johnson came to Urbana-Champaign from Oregon State University, where he served as the head coach from 1990-1992. The Rock Island, Ill., native led the Beavers to the Pac-10 Championship in 1992, earning conference Coach of the Year honors.

An alumnus of Alleman High School, Johnson grappled to a high school national championship his senior year. He went on to the University of Michigan, where he became a two-time All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up at 177 pounds. Johnson captained the Wolverines and finished his college career with a 103-18-3 record. He earned a B.S. in education in 1977 and was a dean's list student. Internationally, Johnson competed on the 1980 Olympic team and in 15 U.S.A. Wrestling teams that competed throughout the world, winning two U.S.A. Wrestling national championships.

Before moving to Oregon State, Johnson coached at the University of Iowa as the top assistant coach under Dan Gable for eight years. While at Iowa, he helped groom four NCAA championship teams, 17 national champions, 55 All-Americans and eight Big Ten championship squads. In 1986, he garnered NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year accolades.

Prior to accepting his position at Iowa, Johnson worked as a physical fitness director and wrestling coach at the Boys Club of Sarasota (Fla.) for two years. Johnson began his coaching career at the University of Iowa as a graduate assistant coach from 1978-80. Internationally, Johnson's coaching experience includes stints as assistant coach for the 1988 Olympic freestyle team and head coach at the 1986 and 1991 Olympic Sports Festivals. He also is a USA Wrestling National Coaching Staff member and a member of the Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Johnson and his wife, Linda, have two daughters, Tricia and Mackey, and reside in Champaign.

The Johnson File

University of Illinois
- Career Record: 210-46-5 (.814)
- Record at Illinois: 190-42-3 (.815)
- Head coach with the most Illinois wins, NCAA Champions, All-Americans and NCAA Qualifiers

College Coaching Experience
- Illinois, head coach (1992-present)
- Oregon State, head coach (1990-92)
- Iowa, assistant coach (1982-90)
- Iowa, graduate assistant (1978-80)

Honors
- Big Ten Coach of the Year (2005, 2001)
- NWCA All-Star Meet Head Coach (2002)
- Quad City Sports Hall of Fame (2000)
- IWCOA Man of the Year (1999)
- NWCA National Coach of the Year (1995)
- W.I.N. Magazine National Coach of the Year (1995)
- Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1992)
- Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame (1987)
- NWCA National Assistant Coach of the Year (1986)

Wrestling Experience
- Olympic Team, 1980
- USA Wrestling Team
- National Wrestling Champion (Twice)
- Two-time All-American (1976-77)
- B.S. in education, University of Michigan `77

International Coaching Experience
- USA National Coaching Staff member
- Olympic Sports Festival, head coach (1991 & 1996)
- USA Olympic Team, assistant coach (1988)
- World Espoir Team, head coach (1987)

Johnson by the Numbers

It is impossible to ignore the success that Mark Johnson has had during his 16 years at Illinois. In 1993, he took over a program that had posted two winning seasons in 10 years and has since transformed Illinois into a national power, having posted 16 straight winning seasons and 12 Top-15 finishes.

In 2005, Illinois won the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 1952.
Johnson led Illinois to a No. 1 national ranking in 2004.
Johnson was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1995 and also was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2005.
The 2005-06 season marked the third year in a row the Fighting Illini have brought home the Midlands Tournament team title. The Illini join Iowa and Iowa State as the only teams to accomplish the three-peat.
Johnson has led Illinois to 12 Top-15 finishes and nine Top-10 finishes at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in the last 14 years.
Matt Lackey became the seventh NCAA Champion for Johnson at Illinois when he won his title in 2003. He joined Adam Tirapelle (2001), John Lockhart (2001), Carl Perry (2000), Eric Siebert (1998), Ernest Benion Jr. (1995) and Steve Marianetti (1995).
In the last 14 years, Illinois has had 40 All-Americans, 27 of which came over the last nine seasons. The five All-Americans in 2005 and 2004 ties the school record set in 1948.
Over the last 16 years, UI has had an impressive 111 NCAA qualifiers, including 10 in 1995, 2000 and 2006, and nine in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2005.
NCAA Individual Champions
(During the Mark Johnson Era)
1. Iowa 26
2. Oklahoma State 20
3. Iowa State 10
4. Minnesota 8
5. Illinois 7

NCAA Top-10 Team Finishes
(During the Mark Johnson Era)
1. Iowa 15
2. Oklahoma State 14
3. Iowa State 13
4. Minnesota 12
5. Oklahoma 10
6. Illinois 9
Limestone Head Coach Trent Goodale Has Roster of 63, Readies for Start of Season

Trent Goodale and his Saints of Limestone have a problem and its a good problem to have. 63 young men are currently on the roster of this South Carolina School and the former Iowa Hawkeye is loving it.

The Saints start their season November 6th at the Citadel. Check em out. here is a young program on the grow with a great head coach.

More information on Limestone at: http://www.golimestonesaints.com

More Information on Coach Trent Goodale at: http://www.golimestonesaints.com/coaches.aspx?rc=114&path=wrestling
Greco-Roman Hall of Champions

Waterloo, Iowa - Due to unforeseen circumstances with Rulon Gardner's schedule, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is postponing the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions scheduled for October 9, 2010, in Minneapolis, Minn. The event will be rescheduled for a date when Gardner can attend.

Gardner, a 2000 Olympic champion and 2001 World champion, was scheduled to be this year's lone inductee. The Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions is located inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. Gardner was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a distinguished member in Stillwater, Okla., earlier this year.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum will reschedule the event for next year.

"We regret that unforeseen circumstances have kept Rulon Gardner from attending his induction into the Greco-Roman Hall of Champions," said Alan Rice, namesake of the Hall of Champions. "We respect the confidentiality of his personal situation that forced his cancelation; however, we look forward to his induction into the hall of champions next year."
New York Wrestling Legend Troy Nickerson to Stay in Central N.Y. to Coach the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club

ITHACA, N.Y.--Troy Nickerson, the 2009 NCAA 125-pound NCAA Champion and only 5-time New York State Champion has been added to the FLWC coaching staff. Troy placed at the NCAA Championships each of his four seasons with the Cornell Big Red, finishing 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 4th. As a team captain in 2010, Troy led the Big Red to an unprecedented 2nd place team finish. Troy battled through major shoulder injuries his final two seasons at Cornell, which have required a number of reconstructive surgeries to repair. Troy will be taking most of this season to recover from these injuries, but plans on returning to competition in a quest to represent the USA Wrestling team in the 2012 Olympic Games.

As a prep wrestler, Troy set new standards in New York State, winning a record five state titles for nearby Chenango Forks High School. A product of Section IV wrestling, and five-time Section IV Champ, Troy will bring not only his skills and success to the FLWC program, but also his understanding of the demands for success in the Southern Tier area.

The mission of the FLWC is to promote all levels of wrestling within the Finger Lakes region of New York State, and Nickerson's duties with the FLWC will focus on training and coaching the FLWC college team. Troy will also assist in the coaching of all levels of FLWC athletes, which consists of youth, high school, college and senior level wrestlers. Troy will be joining an FLWC coaching staff that also includes: Clint Wattenberg, Matt Azevedo, Mitch Clark, Eric Toftegaard, Mike Rodriguez, Josh Arnone, Brian Cook, Brian Alves, Matt Bogumil and Gene Nighman.
AIC's Assitant Willie Hilton Talks of Past, Present and Future of Yellow Jackets

Willie Hilton was named assistant wrestling coach at American International College in the fall of 2008 and will be entering his second season with the team.

Hilton most recently served as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, North Carolina-Pembroke, where coached an all-American at 165 pounds. He gained additional experience coaching at the club and high school levels in California, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Hilton coached two North Carolina state champions and had a third wrestler place fifth

Hilton was a three time Division II all-American at UNC-Pembroke - once at 149 pounds and twice at 141 pounds - where he was coached by Seibert, who was an assist coach with the Braves prior to his arrival to AIC. He was also a two-time Peach Belt Conference Scholar Athlete.

Hilton earned his bachelor's in December 2007 and is pursuing his master's at UNC-Pembroke. 

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE 2010 INCOMING RECRUITS
(8/27/10 from AIC Coaching Staff)

Zachary Ziobro from Mt. Hope HS (RI)
Matthew Wagy from Olympic Hts Community HS (FL)
Ryan Parker from Holy Cross HS (CT)
Andres Nanez from Heidelberg American HS in Germany
Sean Mahoney from Carver HS (MA)
Michael Ingalls from Hyde Prep School (ME)
Josue Guerra from Clinton HS (MA)
Raul Gonzalez from Golden Gate HS (FL)
Marshall Giovannini from Washington HS/Highline CC (WA)
Anthony Gaito from Warren Hills Regional HS (NJ)
Kyle Crisafulli from John C. Birdlebough HS (NY)
Kyle Copes from Norwood HS (CT)
Frederick Bruce from Springfield Central HS (MA)
Zachary Audet from Mt. Hope HS (RI)
Andrew Agoo from Seminole HS (FL)
Mike Bradley from Seminole HS (FL)
Sergio "Niko" Fernandez from Arizona

 

Here is weight-by-weight 2011 Lineup Projection for American International College Wrestling by Allen Brown . Here we go!

125- The only returner at this weight class is Jr. Josh Rollins. A newcomer to the roster signing on with the Yellow Jackets and accompanying Rollins, is 4X NY State Finalist Kyle Crisafulli, who compiled a 210-15 career record in HS under Coach Gene Mills at Phoenix HS. Also, coming aboard the AIC Express is Mike Bradley. Bradley, a 2X VT State champion, wrestled his high school career under Coach Scott Legacy at Mt. Anthony. Crissafulli was nationally ranked by USA wrestling magazine for his weight class and Bradley was honorable mention by the same publication.

133-Andrew Liske, from CT, was a redshirt a year ago and now looks to start his college career. Coming aboard to challenge Liske are newcomers Aaron Smith, who is a transfer from Highline Community College, and 2X Juco All-American under coach Scott Norton; Zachary Ziobro, from RI, who is an Eastern Nationals champ; and Andrew Agoo, from FL, an AAU World Champ.

141- Chris Hoffman, from MD, went 15-6 for the Jackets as a freshman. Adding depth at the weight will be incoming freshman Sergio "Niko" Fernadez, who is an Arizona state placer. Also, at this weight class will be Anthony Gaito out of NJ, and MA state place winner Josue Guerra.

149- Newcomer, Andres Nanez from Germany, placed 3rd the last two years at the European Championships, and has the inside track to start. Also, excepted to compete for the spot is 2X state qualifier Matt Waggy from Olympic Heights, FL and transfer Arthur "Ray" Shaffer , from Pottstown, PA.

157- Marshall Giovannini is the potential starter at this weight class. He is a transfer from Highline Community College, and has two junior college All-American Certificates placing 4th and 2nd. Also, looking for time are RI state champion Zachary Audet, and Central High School local Frederick Bruce.

165- Ronnie Tetreault, a junior from Ludlow, MA, is going up a weight class for this up coming season. And 165 is the weight class where, two years ago, Mr. Tetreault placed third at the junior college nationals, then competing for Colby CC. Angel Mazara also returns for his sophomore year. Mazara is a tough customer whose season was cut short by injury, after winning a final wrestle-off match for Regionals. Also adding depth for the Yellow Jackets at this weight class will be freshman Ryan Parker (CT).

174- Jason Pagan, a senior, is looking for some closure from last season and for his career! Pagan got hot for the Yellow Jackets late last season, and rattled off thirteen wins in a row! Unfortunately, season-ending surgery kept Pagan from competing at our regional tournament. Also, back from a year lay off, is Vladimir Bereschenko from Russia. Bereschenko is a very decorated wrestler in his country, and might also see time at 165. Newcomer and CT State Champ Kyle Copes will also add a nice blend to the weight.

184- Yakov Bloch Sr from Israel had a 20-win season last year. Wausu Onibanjo, from NJ, is also a very exciting wrestler at the weight class. Who wants it?

197- Newcomer, Mike Ingalls, out of CT. a New England placer two years ago, did a prep year last year and was runnerup at the New England prep-school tournament.

285- Casey Hines from Starke, FL, is back for his sophomore campaign, and has grown into the weight. Further, sophomore Austin Morris from NY and newcomers Sean Mahoney (MA) and Raul Gonzalez (FL) will add needed heavy weight depth in the room.

There is a look at American International College for the coming season. We wish AIC head coach Charles Seibert and all the Yellow Jacket wrestlers and fans, a very good 2011 and beyond! - Our Thanks to Allen Brown of the WrestlingReport.com 
Fellowship of Christian Athletes Opens Search for National Director of FCA Wrestling

( Kansas City, MO) - The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) has opened up a national search for the position of National Director of FCA Wrestling. This highly-motivated and experienced leader will serve as the full-time professional administrator for the recently formed FCA Wrestling.

FCA Wrestling became the eighth national sports ministry for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Each of these FCA national sports ministries focuses on providing ministry to a community of people who are united around a particular sport by offering opportunities to serve athletes and coaches in that particular sport.

Last year, longtime wrestling leader Joe Boardwine served as the first National Director of FCA Wrestling, and successfully developed the foundation for the growth of this exciting new program. During his time as National Director, Joe built the momentum for FCA Wrestling and the next leader will be called to keep that momentum going. Boardwine resigned to accept the position as the head wrestling coach at Campbell University, a Div. I wrestling program in North Carolina.

Since the announcement of the plan to develop FCA Wrestling in September 2008, the organization has quickly established the foundation for this new ministry. Jeff Pratt was named Leadership Board Chairman for FCA Wrestling, and an impressive Leadership Board of wrestling leaders has stepped forward to help provide direction and support for FCA Wrestling.

"This is a bigtime position for a bigtime leader who will make a bigtime impact on wrestling for a long time. This is a huge opportunity for somebody who is called to leadership," said Tim Johnson, FCA Vice President of the Midwest Region.

An FCA Wrestling National Director Search Team has been formed to help identify the best candidates for this important position. Serving on the Search Team are FCA Board members Mark Mestemacher and Rich Bender, along with Sean McNamara, who serves as FCA Vice President of Field Ministry and Vice President of Sports Specific Ministry.

FCA has set up a process for candidates to apply for this position, as well as for those within the wrestling community to suggest worthy individuals who should be considered for this opportunity. All of these resources have been posted online, to allow those interested in this opportunity to educate themselves about the process and to get involved if they believe that they have a calling to pursue this position.

Included in these resources is an FCA Wrestling National Director Information Packet, which outlines the specific FCA hiring process. Also provided with these resources is a Candidate Questionnaire, which all applicants will be asked to fill out as part of the hiring process. In addition, there is an online form which is posted where people may submit names of qualified individuals who FCA Wrestling should consider for this position.

Complete information on the National Director of FCA Wrestling Search is located at:

The national search has officially started. Candidates are encouraged to apply at this time. The position will be filled when the ideal candidate has been identified through the FCA hiring process. The FCA Wrestling Leadership Board is confident that the right person who can provide inspired leadership in this position will be identified and hired in a timely fashion.

Anybody with questions about this position or the process should contact Sean McNamara via phone at (800) 289-0909 or via e-mail at smcnamara@fca.org.

About FCA

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is touching millions of lives... one heart at a time. Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in the world. FCA focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.

The FCA Wrestling Leadership Board

- Jeff Pratt, Director of Student Ministry Training for Lifeway Christian Resources

- Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director

- Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, World freestyle wrestling silver medalist

- Brandon Slay, National Freestyle Resident Coach for USA Wrestling, Olympic freestyle wrestling champion,

- Tim Johnson, FCA Vice President Midwest Region, national TV wrestling announcer

- Sean McNamara, FCA Vice President of Sport Specific Ministries

- Nate Carr, Head Wrestling Instructor for Prodigy Training and Fight Center, Olympic freestyle wrestling bronze medalist

- John Peterson, Athletes In Action, Olympic freestyle gold medalist and Olympic freestyle silver medalist

- Dan Russell, Senior Pastor at Battleground Four-Square Church, four-time NCAA Division II wrestling champion

- Stan Zeamer, President and Owner of Utility / Keystone Trailer and Transport Auctions LLC, high school and college wrestling coach, Olympic Team Leader

- Mark Mestemacher, Officer of Ceres Consulting LLC, Edwardsville Wrestling Club coach

- Joe Slaughter, President and CEO of Herff Jones
Participation Numbers at the High School Level Increase in 2009-10

For the sixth straight year, high school boys wrestling participation numbers have increased while girls' participation hit an all-time high as The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) released the 2009-10 participation numbers.

The number of boys wrestling in 2009-10 was 272,890 which ranked it as the sixth most popular boy's sport for participation. The total number of participants in 2010 is the highest number that wrestling has seen since 1980, when participation statistics were listed at 273,326 by the NFHS.

The total number of boy's teams sponsoring wrestling is at an all-time with 10,363 programs nationally.

Both of these numbers show significant growth in the past year with 111 programs added since 2008-09 and individual participation up by 5,512.

In the past decade 1,317 teams have been added throughout the country along with an increase in individual participation of 33, 785.
Mississippi remains the lone state which does not sponsor wrestling.
Girls' wrestling also continues to grow each year. Girls' wrestling is at an all-time high with 6,134 participants. Texas and California continue to have the strongest girls wrestling presence on the high school level.

"These numbers are a testament to the hard work that is going on at the youth level to educate our coaches and youth wrestlers. With participation numbers steadily climbing this gives a bright outlook on the future of the sport of wrestling at the high school level," said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the NWCA.

"The NWCA's primary mission is to develop the most proficient coaches in the nation so we can sustain this phenomenal participation growth in wrestling. In doing so, we can be assured that student-wrestlers across the nation are receiving a high quality, educationally based sports experience," said Moyer.
TDR this Week- Brian Smith, Conor Youtsey, Hipps, Heskett, Randall, Gray Maynard

Hello again Wrestling Fans. We return to the Brute Adidas studios for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods.

Join Scott Casber, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins.
Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT.

The World Championships will be getting underway in Russia. Best of luck to our US Athletes. For a complete schedule and to follow the results of Team USA Visit the special section on TheMat.com

Our Guests Include:

9:01     Brian Smith- Head Coach of the Tigers of Missouri. Another remarkable recruiting
           class and a camping trip. We'll catch up with Coach Smith.
  
9:20 Conor Youtsey- One of America's Top recruits commits to Army. We'll discuss the process
           he went through and his goals for the future.

9:40  Andrew Hipps- of IntermatWrestle.com The InterMat JJ Classic is set to take
   place on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minnesota.

The InterMat JJ Classic promises to be loaded with national talent. Hundreds of wrestlers in grades
       7-12 are expected to participate. There will be 32-wrestler brackets for each of the 14 standard
       high school weight classes from 103 through 285 pounds. Because of the event's location,
       the InterMat JJ Classic is expected to attract top high school wrestling talent from across
       the Midwest. However, the tournament is open to wrestlers from all across the United States.
   
10:01    Joe Heskett- NEW Head Coach of the US Military Academy at West Point, NY.
           Off to a fast start for this young coaching prodigy.
   
10:20    Greg Randall- Head Coach of the Boise State Broncos - tried and true, Randall and
           his Broncos are planning on a tough season. The Pac 10 Beckons! 

10:40    Gray Maynard- Former Michigan State Spartan has been slowly building his MMA
           career. After dismantling Kenny Florian at UFC 118 in Boston he finally gets the title
           shot he deserves. It'll be wrestler vs. Wrestler as Maynard gets ready to face Edgar.
           Sponsored by Xtreme Couture

10:50    Amy Williams (Rubel)- Wildrose Resort and Casino  

Wrestling fans- Episode 73 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings.  

How to watch and listen-

TDR and TDR TV.         It's appointment Radio and TV!  1.78 MILLION HOMES AND GROWING!

TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan,

TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Ch. 22. IA, MO, AK, NE, MN, IL Tues. 5 PM, Sat. 10 AM

                                   Time Warner Cable NY Ch. 813 Sat. 12 Noon
                                  
                                   Comcast Cable Tennessee Ch. 96 Fridays 5 PM
              
                                   CATV- CCN, Pennsylvania Ch. 8 Fridays 5 PM (Premiers September 10th)

                                   Call your local cable operator and ask them to carry TDR TV

TDR on Internet:          You can join us 9 to 11 AM Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com

TDR TV On Internet:     31 various web sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com.
Thanks for watching and listening!
U.S. Seeks Success at World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 6-12

COLORADO SPRINGS - Past World champions Dremiel Byers and Kristie Davis will lead the 21-member U.S. wrestling team into the World Championships on Sept. 6-12 in Moscow, Russia.
The seven-day competition will start with the Greco-Roman tournament, followed by women's freestyle and men's freestyle.

The U.S. has a talented team, mixed with veteran stars and some exciting young newcomers. The USA seeks to improve on its performance from last year, when it returned with three individual medalists.

Davis, formerly Kristie Marano, is a two-time World champion (2000, 2003). She has dropped down to 67 kg/147.5 lbs. She won a silver medal in her last trip to the Worlds in 2007. She is a U.S. record nine-time World medalist, winning a medal each of the nine previous times she competed at a World Championships.

Byers won his World title in 2002, when the Greco-Roman World Championships were held in Moscow. In addition, Byers won a World silver medal in 2009 and a World bronze medal in 2007 at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., making him the first American Greco-Roman wrestler to win a World medal of each kind.

The U.S. freestyle team is led by returning World silver medalist Jake Herbert at 84 kg/185 lbs. 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick will make his third appearance in the Worlds in freestyle wrestling at 60 kg/132 lbs.

2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz is back on the Greco-Roman team. He is making his fifth trip to the Worlds. He competes at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

2008 World bronze medalist Tatiana Padilla has made her third straight World Team at 55 kg/121 lbs. Padilla was fifth in the World in 2009.

Olympian Spenser Mango has made his second straight World Team in Greco-Roman at 55 kg/121 lbs. Byers and Zadick also are past Olympians.

Two members of the women's freestyle team are past University World champions, Elena Pirozhkova at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Stephany Lee at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Mango is a past University World champion in Greco-Roman.

Six of the seven U.S. Greco-Roman team members have competed in a previous World Championships, with only Jake Fisher at 74 kg/163 lbs. in his first World meet.

Only two of the seven U.S. Women's team members are in their first World Championships, Alyssa Lampe at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Kelsey Campbell at 59 kg/130 lbs.

Four men's freestyle team members will be in their first Senior World Championships: Obe Blanc at 55 kg, Brent Metcalf at 66 kg, J.D. Bergman at 96 kg and Les Sigman at 120 kg.

Two-time NCAA Div. I national champions on the men's freestyle team are Metcalf and Herbert. Sigman won four NCAA Div. II national titles.

Defending champion teams are Russia in men's freestyle, Turkey in Greco-Roman and Azerbaijan in women's freestyle. At the 2009 World Championships in Herning, Denmark, the United States placed sixth in women's freestyle, seventh in men's freestyle and 15th in Greco-Roman.

The U.S. teams are in their final acclimation training camps overseas, with Greco-Roman in the Czech Republic, and men's and women's freestyle in Germany. Each team will then travel to Moscow for their competition.

There will be complete daily coverage from the World Championships from Moscow on TheMat.com, which is USA Wrestling's website. Included will be audio coverage of each session, plus video interviews, session wrap-up stories, results brackets, a live chat room and more features.

To follow the U.S. athletes in Moscow, go to TheMat.com Special Section at:

http://www.themat.com/specialevents/2010/worlds/default.php?EventID=23959

Also posted in the Special Section are complete previews for each weight class, along with a Team USA Media Guide, which is attached as a pdf. You can also download the Media Guide at:

http://www.themat.com/events/MediaGuide2010.pdf

WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE

Monday, Sept. 6

Greco-Roman 55 kg (Mango), 66 kg (Sahin), 96 kg (Ruiz)

Tuesday, Sept. 7

Greco-Roman 60 kg (Davis), 84 kg (Clark), 120 kg (Byers)

Wednesday, Sept. 8

Greco-Roman 74 kg (Fisher); Women's freestyle 48 kg (Lampe), 51 kg (Medina)

Thursday, Sept. 9

Women's freestyle 55 kg (Padilla), 59 kg (Campbell), 63 kg (Pirozhkova)

Friday, Sept. 10

Women's freestyle 67 kg (Davis), 72 kg (Lee); Freestyle 55 kg (Blanc)

Saturday, Sept. 11

Freestyle 60 kg (Zadick), 84 kg (Herbert), 96 kg (Bergman)

Sunday, Sept. 12

Freestyle 66 kg (Metcalf), 74 kg (Paulson), 120 kg (Sigman)

U.S. GRECO-ROMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ROSTER

55 kg/121 lbs. - Spenser Mango, St. Louis, Mo. (New York AC)

60 kg/132 lbs. - Jeremiah Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

66 kg/145. lbs. - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Jake Fisher, Boise, Idaho (New York AC)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Jake Clark, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Ruiz, Boise, Idaho (New York AC)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

Coaches - Steve Fraser (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Momir Petkovic (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Rob Hermann (Pensacola, Fla.); Dan Hicks (Camp LeJeune, N.C.)

College affiliations - Northern Michigan USOEC (Mango, Davis, Fisher), Nebraska (Ruiz), Clark (Minnesota), North Carolina A&T (Byers), Selcuk Univ. (Sahin), Michigan (Coach Fraser), U.S. Naval Academy (Coach Hicks)

U.S. WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ROSTER

48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

55 kg/121 lbs. - Tatiana Padilla, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

59 kg/130 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Davis, Oklahoma City, Okla. (New York AC)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

Coaches - Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Vladislav Izboinikov (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Keith Wilson (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Link Davis (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

College affiliations - Oklahoma City (Davis, Coach Davis), Northern Michigan USOEC (Lampe), Univ. of the Cumberlands (Medina), Lindenwood (Padilla), Arizona State (Campbell), Missouri Valley (Lee), Iowa (Coach Steiner), Oklahoma (Coach Wilson), Central Oklahoma (Coach Davis), Moscow State Univ. of PE (Izboinikov)

U.S. FREESTYLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ROSTER

55 kg/121 lbs. - Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)

60 kg/132 lbs. - Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Gator WC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Travis Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Jake Herbert, Evanston, Ill. (New York AC)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Les Sigman, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Coaches - Zeke Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Bill Zadick (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Brandon Slay (Colorado Springs, Colo.); John Smith (Stillwater, Okla.); Terry Brands (Iowa City, Iowa)

College affiliations - Iowa (Zadick, Metcalf, Coach Brands, Coach Zadick), Oklahoma State (Blanc, Coach Smith), Iowa State (Paulson), Lock Haven (Blanc), Northwestern (Herbert), Ohio State (Bergman), UN-Omaha (Sigman), Arizona State (Coach Jones), Univ. of Pennsylvania (Coach Slay)
Seeking Jewish Athletes to Represent the USA at the 13th European Maccabi Games

Philadelphia, PA, August 26 - Maccabi USA is seeking Jewish athletes to represent the USA Team at the 13th European Maccabi Games that will take place in Vienna, Austria July 5 - 13, 2011. Jeff Bukantz, of Montville, NJ, will serve as General Chairman of the 13th European Maccabi Games USA Organizing Committee. The Overall Sports Chairs are Rachel and Michael Bronstein of Freehold, NJ.

Maccabi USA will field the largest North American Team ever to compete at the European Maccabi Games with approximately 175 athletes representing 34 teams competing in 12 sports disciplines. Applications are now being accepted for:
Open Athletes (18+)in Badminton (M,W), Beach Volleyball (M,W), Bridge (M,W), Fencing (M,W),
Field Hockey (W), Golf (W), Soccer (W), Squash (M,W), Table Tennis (M,W), Ten-Pin Bowling (M,W) and Volleyball(M,W).
Juniors Athletes (born between 1995-97): Basketball (M), Golf (M,W), Soccer (W), Table Tennis (M,W) and Volleyball (M, W).
Masters Athletes: Golf (W, 50+), Soccer (M 35+), Squash (M,W 35+), Table Tennis (M,W 40+) and Tennis (M,W 35+).

Applications are now available at the Maccabi USA website to download, and an on-line application form will be available soon. http://www.maccabiusa.com/sports/competitions.html. If you need further information regarding sports offered and eligibility, you may contact Stephanie Sorkin at 215.561.6900 x110 or ssorkin@maccabiusa.com.

In addition to competition with other Jewish athletes from throughout Europe, Israel and the Diaspora, there will be opportunities to explore the culture and history of the Jewish People in Vienna. The Games will be aired on JLTV throughout the competition.

About the organization:
Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel (MUSA) has an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs. The organization is the official sponsor of the United States Team to the World Maccabiah Games, the Pan American Maccabi Games and the Maccabi competitions in Europe and Australia, as well as a co-founder of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America. As the official Maccabi representative in the U.S., Maccabi USA supports Jewish athletic endeavors, enhanced by cultural and educational activities in the United States, Israel and throughout the Diaspora.

MUSA develops, promotes and supports international, national and regional athletic-based activities and facilities. It strives to provide Jewish athletes the world over the opportunity to share their heritage and customs in competitive athletic settings. MUSA supports programs that embody the Maccabi ideals of Jewish continuity, Zionism and excellence in sport.
Speak with a U.S. World Team Member During the Living the Dream Medal Fund LIVE TELETHON on Friday Night

The wrestling community will have a unique opportunity to speak with one of the 2010 U.S. World Team athletes or coaches when they call in for the Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast on Friday, August 20.

A first-of-its-kind event, this will be broadcast on TheMat.com and Flowrestling.com live from the U.S. Olympic Training Center from 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Eastern time.

This gives fans a way to directly connect with the athletes and coaches that will represent them at the World Championships and support their Olympic dreams with a donation.

The U.S. World Team members in all three Olympic styles and their coaches will take calls from supporters of the fund, after a day of intense training as they go through their final preparation for the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia. Sept. 6-12.

The event will be hosted by USA Wrestling broadcast host Jason Bryant, along with Al Bevilacqua, chairman of the Living the Dream Medal Fund project. There will be many special features on this broadcast, which will be a fun and exciting presentation.

Featured on the webcast will be stand-up comic Greg Warren, a past NCAA All-American from Missouri. Greg has been on the stand-up circuit for several years and has a large following. He has been a sensation on Flowrestling with the character Wesley "Wes" Wesley.

The Living the Dream Medal Fund was established to substantially increase the financial rewards for U.S. wrestlers who win Olympic and World medals during this four-year Olympic cycle.

The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Webcast is a first for USA Wrestling, and is a unique opportunity within the U.S. Olympic family. Once again, the wrestling community is showing its leadership in finding new ways to enhance the sport and support its athletes.

ALL proceeds go directly to the Living The Dream Medal Fund. USA Wrestling will provide the webcast free on its Ustream channel and on the front page of TheMat.com and Flowrestling.com.

Mark your calendar for this Friday, August 20 and join our nation's World Team members as they greet the wrestling community directly and thank them for their support.

CALL IN NUMBER: 1-800-999-8531
Credit cards accepted include VISA or Mastercard

Jim Brown's Wrestling Blog

I believe Jim Brown has the best explanation of why Mike Novogratz and Dave Barry created our Living the Dream Program.

Most of you know Jim as a member of the Network. Jim  is a marketing professional and has the ability to grasp the "moment" and synthesize it so it flows from paragraph to paragraph.

Marketing is all about timing, optics and messaging.

Larry Nugent and I had a good response from our donors last year when the athletes called all of them simply saying "thank you". We created the Telethon & Benefit to begin moving the needle of expanding the numbers of people to participate in a "giving back to wrestling" program.

If people had a good experience in wrestling, they will give back, if asked.

If they didn't, they will not give!

I for one believe that there are millions of people who are well aware of the values that wrestling provides, whether they 'dabbled" in it, tried it or as the case of Jim Brown,  became a fan and has become "memorized' by it.

We have positioned ourselves very well as Mike Novogratz and his Wall Street friends are taking a 'second look" at wrestling. I am amazed as to how many of his friends are former wrestlers who meet several times a week for lunch talking most of the time about their wrestling days.

Many of these are committed donors to the Beat the Streets Program in NYC.

Any help you can give in our final "push" leading up to Friday will be greatly appreciated.

My goal is simple…I want us to raise the money for our kids…not leaving it to 7 people.

Al Bevilacqua
A wrestling enthusiast

The view from section GG
Musings and opinions on amateur wrestling from a fan's standpoint.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Still living the dream

Shawn Johnson, Michael Phelps and Shaun White are all millionaires. Mike Zadick, Dremiel Byers and Kristie Davis are not. All six have worked tirelessly to be the best America has to offer in their respective sports and all have won medals in world championship competition. There's really only one difference - Johnson, Phelps and White excel at sports embraced by the American television viewing public. Zadick, Byers and Davis wrestle.

No American wrestling in the three international styles is doing so to get rich. They are driven by the competition - by the quest for excellence. To be able to continue their careers they become assistant collegiate coaches, run camps or take on other jobs. The best of the best receive small stipends from USA Wrestling. For many of our wrestlers the lure of potential big earnings in the Mixed Martial Arts octagon is too great and they forego world level freestyle and Greco Roman careers.

Last year USA Wrestling and a small group of wrestling's biggest supporters - people like Michael Novogratz, Dave Barry, Art Martori and Al Bevilacqua - created the Living the Dream Fund. The concept behind the fund is simple - it's only right that we financially reward these hard working athletes for success on the world and Olympic stage. Under the plan, world champions will receive a check for $50,000. Silver medallists earn $25,000 and bronze winners receive $15,000. The stakes are higher in the London Olympics in 2012, where a Gold Medal will be worth $250,000, a silver will bring $50,000 and a bronze $25,000. In the program's first year freestylers Jake Herbert and Tervel Dlagnev, and Greco Roman wrestler, Dremiel Byers, all received checks from the Living the Dream Fund.

It's wrestling supporting wrestling. We're not waiting for help from the government or anyone else - you and I and our friends in the wrestling community are doing it. Olympic heroes like Gable, Smith, Sanderson and Baumgartner have donated to the fund. Coaches, wrestlers, wrestling business owners, wrestling media and - yes - you "nameless" denizens of the internet have given to the fund. We've made progress, but there is much more to do.

This Friday, August 20th you'll have the chance to join an elite group - those who step up and act to support the "world's oldest and greatest sport". The leaders of the Living the Dream Fund will be holding an online telethon and benefit. You'll be able to call in your pledges or bid on several auction items including 2 tickets to that big football game in Dallas next February whose name I can't mention without fear of lawsuit (hint - it will have XLV after the name). Air fare and hotel room are included in that package. The telethon will run from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Mountain Time and will originate from the USOC in Colorado Springs. You can watch on either <http://www.themat.com>www.themat.com or <http://www.flowrestling.com>www.flowrestling.com.

Special guest will be former University of Missouri All-American wrestler, Greg Warren. Greg is one of the funniest stand up comedians working today and several of his routines feature his days as a Tiger wrestler and being the son of a high school wrestling coach. If you've never seen Greg, be prepared to laugh.
John Smith Added to the 2010 West Coast Wrestling Camps Lineup

Dear West Coast Wrestlers,

WE HAVE AN AWESOME NEW ADDITION TO THIS YEAR'S LINEUP...

Rarely on the West Coast, we are pleased to announce that JOHN SMITH WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE @ THIS YEAR'S 2010 WEST COAST WRESTLING CAMPS!!

About John Smith:
4x World Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Head Coach Oklahoma State University
His teams have won five NCAA wrestling team titles, in 1994 and 2003 through 2006. His wrestlers have won 23 individual NCAA titles and 85 All-American honors. Smith has also captured 10 conference (Big Eight and Big 12) team titles and his wrestlers have won 62 conference crowns.

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!!

2010 WEST COAST WRESTLING CAMPS ARE FILLING UP QUICKLY...BUT THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER!!

Check out our 2010 Lineup:
Mark Munoz - NCAA National Champion & former Oklahoma St, UC Davis, & Cal St. Fullerton Coach
John Smith - 4x World Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, & Head Coach for Oklahoma State Univ.
Urijah Faber - National Freestyle silver medalist and former WEC world champion
Mark Branch - NCAA National Champion & current Univ. of Wyoming Coach
Mark Cody - Current American University Coach
Joe Heskett - NCAA National Champion & current West Point Coach
Kerry McCoy - 2x Olympian & current Univ. of Maryland Coach
Tervel Dlagnev - Current World Team Member

Dates:
Advanced Technique Camp - August 2-6
Intensive Training Camp - August 7-11
Both Camp Sessions - August 2-11

Testimonials:
"Mark (Munoz) is one of the best technicians I have ever seen. In addition to that, he is a great teacher and an outstanding person!" - Cliff Jarmie (One of the winningest coaches in Southern California and current Head Coach of Laguna Hills High School

"I can think of no one better that I would recommend to work with my wrestlers (on Mark Munoz). He is a wonderful role model and will have a lasting impact on every kid he works with!"- Dan Hicks (Head Coach Cal State Fullerton)

For further details or to register, please visit:
www.westcoastwrestler.com

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Sincerely,
Kristi Munoz
West Coast Wrestler
Henry Cejudo Wins American Latino TV Award for Favorite American Latino Athlete

Henry Cejudo won the "Favorite Athlete" category for the 4th Annual American Latino TV Awards! The awards recognize the accomplishments of American Latinos in a variety of categories; it is the only American Latino award show where the fans determine the winners. The show, American Latino TV, is a nationally syndicated, half-hour weekly program; it is broadcasted in more than 100 cities nationwide and reaches an estimated 76 million homes and over 90% of all Latino households. The award show will air this week. For more information about American Latino TV, the award and when the episode will air, please visit: www.americanlatino.tv

American Immigration Council Honors Olympic champion Henry Cejudo's Mother Nelly Rico

The American Immigration Council honored Nelly Rico, mother of Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, at their annual benefit on Friday, July 2, 2010. Henry had the honor of presenting the council's coveted American Heritage Award to his mother. The award is presented to individual immigrants for their outstanding accomplishments and unique contributions to the United States. For more information about the award and the American Immigration Council visit: www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org.

Crown Chimp Productions Commercial Featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Henry Cejudo Wins National ADDY Award Recognition
Cliff Buerke Diagnosis

To My Fellow referees and wrestling people,

I got a call form Cindy Buerke, she is the wife of Cliff Buerke. Cliff is in the hospital in Carrolton, Texas and has been diagnosed with Cancer. The prognosis isn't too good. His telephone number is: 972-512-1429.

I first met Cliff Buerke when he was the Head Wrestling coach at Evens HS in Orlando, Florida in 1986. Cliff is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where he was a member of the wrestling team. Cliff coached junior high school wrestling, taught science, coached football and wrestling at the high school level. He was a top ranked archer in Florida. I believe he wrestled in high school at Satellite Beach.

Cliff looked exactly like Mel Gibson's sidekick in the movie "Brave Heart". In fact one time when we were in Las Vegas, refereeing the National Open, we went to an establishment that served adult beverages and ran into two guys dressed in Kilts. The traditional Scottish dress. As a joke, I told them I would introduce them to the guy who was in the movie "Brave Heart" and I took them over to meet Cliff. Cliff is really big and they were very impressed and insisted in buying us drinks.

Cliff and I became friends and he put on some wrestling tournaments for the Florida Amateur Wrestling Association and became an official with the FHSAA/Mid-Florida Wrestling Association and with USA Wrestling. He quickly became one of the better officials and rose in rank to the top national level. Cliff has served as the Texas State Official's Director after getting married to a Texas girl and moving there.

Those of you who know Cliff Buerke might wish to call and say hello. Too often we forget the great guys who are part of our great sport and have contributed so much.
Television Validates Our Sport

I have recently sent this letter to Doug Logan of Times Warner in Central New York. Please respond to Doug after reviewing the show that was recently broadcasted in CNY.

Doug,

As a long time supporter of amateur wrestling on all levels from Youth to the Olympics,  it has been my lifelong effort to see our sport highlighted in some type of a weekly televised programming on a major cable system.

Television validates a sport!

Several years ago,  our oldest son Chris, created CSTV with two other partners. They launched the first program on my birthday while covering the Sunkist International Wrestling Championships.

My wife and I viewed the show with a few tears in our eyes. To think that one of our son's was able to do what no one ever created before made us feel very proud.

Since that time, I have worked with several national organizations in wrestling attempting to do what Scott Casber has just accomplished all by himself.

I will nominate him as the "Entrepreneur of the Year" in television. It is an American Dream that is the fabric of capitalism in America.

A weekly 30 minute show with its own studio and a major partner is one of the major opportunities the sport has developed since CSTV wrestling coverage. That directly led to ESPN coverage of the NCAA in primetime and other TV coverage on the Big Ten Network.

Central New York State is a hotbed for high school wrestling and hopefully, the other Times Warner affiliates pick up the show especially in Orange County & Duchess County. I lived in the region for 5 years and John Pascarelli lives next door to my daughter. Chris worked with him through its expansion of coverage for CSTV.

If Times Warner can begin to build an audience and interest increases through its entire cable system, they will awaken a "sleeping giant" of potential sponsors and programming. The general public can easily be sold as the MMA has succeeded in doing.

The success of the MMA, as many people now know, is that many of the top fighters are former wrestlers and wrestling champions.

The athletes in wrestling are unbelievable spokespersons with potential marketing endeavors especially now with women's wrestling being the fastest growing sport in America.

Once again, thank you for being the leader positioning your company in CNY and hopefully, it will expand throughout the entire Times Warner cable system in the northeast area.

Sincerely,

Al Bevilacqua
A wrestling enthusiast

Background Information of TDR- TV

I've been writing and producing a polished 30 minute weekly Sports Center type news show each week call Takedown Wrestling Media. We are in our 66th week of production. See sample here: http://blip.tv/file/3844477

This is a show with 22 minutes of wrestling news content, 2 natural breaks for a total of 8 minutes of commercial time. We've been on air now with Mediacom in 6 states in and around Iowa and have recently added Time Warner Cable Sports in New York. Total homes as of today 1.5 million.

Our goal is to get the program to as many affiliates and regional's via over the air or cable to as many households across the country especially in those areas rich in wrestling history. We have the complete and total support of the NCAA, The NWCA, the Top college programs and many of the leaders of our sport Like Al Bevilacqua, Mike and others nationwide.
TDR this Sat- Kent Sesker, Mick Foley, Stephen Neal, Mark Perry, Sullivan Baccam

Wrestling Fans, we return for the 4th of July weekend special to the Brute Adidas studios of TDR brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Great show this week. Join us starting at 9 AM CST. 

Join me, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins.
Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT.

Our In Studio Guests: Sullivan Baccam- Glory Fighting Championships/ Max Fights MMA Star
                               Troy Peterson & Wagener of Impact Pro Wrestling

Our guests Include:

9:01    Kent Sesker- Dan Gable Intl Wrestling Inst. and Museum
                               Kent will talk about the the coming weekend of inductions
                               into the Geo. Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame

9:20    Mick Foley- WWE Star, HS Wrestling standout, Will receive the Frank Gotch Award
                               at the Hall of Fame weekend at Geo. Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame Dan
                               Gable International Wrestling Institute and Hall of Fame

10:01    Stephen Neal- NFL Star for the New England Patriots, Cal Bakersfield Alumn
                               Beat Brock Lesnar for the NCAA Hvy Wt. Title.
                               Recently Neal helped to raise some 900K to benefit the Cal Bakersfield Wrestling
                               program and promises to do even more next year.

10:20    Mark Perry- Cal Poly Asst. Head Coach. With a top 20 Finish last year, a team of
           eager young studs and a great head coach to work for Perry Joins us to talk about potential


Wrestling fans- Episode 64 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings.  

TDR and TDR TV.         Now It's appointment Radio and TV! 

TDR on Internet:          Join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com

TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan

TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Ch. 22 in 6 Midwestern states. Tu- 5PM, Sat 10 AM
                                   Time Warner Cable Sports Ch. 813 New York State  Sat 12 Noon

TDR TV On Internet:     Over 31 Different sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com.
Thanks for watching and listening!
Takedown Wrestling Media announces Distribution Deal with Time Warner Sports, bringing weekly amateur wrestling TV show to Eastern U.S.

For immediate release Contact: Scott Casber, Takedown Wrestling Media: (515) 707-8657

Des Moines, Iowa Takedown Wrestling Media and Time Warner Sports have established a relationship that will bring the popular TDR TV amateur wrestling program to over 700,000 homes in the eastern United States.

The first broadcast of TDR TV on Time Warner Cable NY will be Saturday, July 3, on Channel 813 throughout the CNY Division. (Check your local listings for availability on additional channels.)

TDR TV is a 30-minute weekly TV show that covers all aspects of amateur wrestling in the U.S. Host Scott Casber updates viewers on the latest developments in high school, college and international wrestling, conducts insightful interviews with the sport's top wrestlers and coaches, and shares his passion for the "oldest and greatest sport" in a fun, fast-paced show. TDR TV is already available on the Mediacom cable TV system serving six Midwestern states, and can be viewed online at www.TakedownRadio.com and at over thirty other affiliated amateur wrestling websites.

"Central New York is a hotbed for championship wrestling on both the high school and collegiate levels," said Time Warner Cable Sports Director Doug Logan. "We are pleased to be adding Takedown Wrestling Media's news program, TDR TV, for all of our subscribers who appreciate this outstanding and demanding sport."

Casber, founder of Takedown Wrestling Media, said, "This is an important step forward for the athletes, coaches and fans of wrestling across the country. Time Warner Sports is a respected name around the country. They understand wrestling fans and the need for promotion of the sport in order to continue its positive growth. This is a special opportunity to partner with Time Warner Cable in the distribution of TDR TV. We understand the responsibility we have in this undertaking and will do our best to present wrestling in a positive manner."

"Time Warner Sports will present our weekly TV program throughout the prime wrestling hotbeds in the eastern U.S., where collegiate wrestling got its start more than a century ago, and is home to a number of great programs at Cornell, Buffalo and Binghamton," said Casber. "In addition, we'll be now seen in the part of the country that features some of the best high school wrestling programs in the nation."


About Takedown Wrestling Media

Takedown Wrestling Media was started 13 year ago as a single one-hour radio program broadcast from Clear Channel's KXNO studios in Des Moines. TDR quickly added Internet distribution of its audio format and over time began to broadcast live events along with its weekly program. Founder Scott Casber is well-known throughout the wrestling community, speaking to wrestling groups around the country and promoting the sport wherever he can. TDR TV was born as an addition to the radio program, initially available only on the Internet, but now available on 31 different web sites, as well as in six Midwest states through its distribution on Mediacom Cable. More information can be found at: Takedownradio.com

About Time Warner Cable    

At Time Warner Cable we're all about connecting people and businesses with information, entertainment and each other. That's why we bring you the latest innovations for your home-from high-definition television, to Enhanced TV features, to high-speed data and Digital Phone services. We also believe in the power of community, which we show through our signature education programs, countless hours of volunteerism and by contributing cash and in-kind support to benefit the communities where we operate.
TDR this Week- Pariano, Goodale, Cael Sanderson, Waller, Azevedo, Lundell

Wrestling Fans, this week we return to the Brute Adidas studios of TDR for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. Lots going on for sure. Great show lined up for you again this week.

Join me, Geoff Murtha (Simpson) and Ryan Freeman (Ok State) and Randy Crimmins.
Geoff Murtha joins us courtesy of Mass Mutual Financial Services, Ryan Freeman courtesy of ATT.

Our guests Include:

9:01    Andrew Pariano- Head Coach Northwestern University  

9:20    Scott Goodale- Head Coach of Rutgers University 

9:40    Cael Sanderson- Head Coach of Penn State University  

10:01    Robbie Waller- Head Coach of Lock Haven University 

10:20    John Azevedo- Cal Poly Head Coach 

10:40    Ricky Lundell- Head Coach University of Grappling in Utah

Wrestling fans- Episode 63 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings.  

TDR and TDR TV.         Now It's appointment Radio and TV! 
TDR on Internet:          You can join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com
TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, 
TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Systems Channel 22 in 6 Midwestern states.
TDR TV On Internet:     Over 30 Different sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com.
Thanks for watching and listening!
Crown Chimp Productions Commercial Featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Henry Cejudo Wins National ADDY Award Recognition

Phoenix, AZ - June 22, 2010 - Crown Chimp Productions, an Arizona based film company, proudly announced today that the company's Brute adidas web commercial, "Six Minutes", featuring Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, won a National Silver ADDY award for Cinematography.

Leading up to the films national recognition, "Six Minutes" captured two Gold ADDY awards at the local level and a Sliver and Gold ADDY award at the regional level. The web commercial, filmed and produced by Crown Chimp Productions, was among the elite that advanced to the highest level of competition. "Six Minutes" went on to compete at the National ADDY awards along side some of the most prestigious brands on the market today.

According to Duarte, the founder and chief creative of Crown Chimp Productions, "To even be in the same room as some of the winners was absolutely incredible. The night saw ADDY awards go to brands such as Old Spice, Durex, Direct TV, Halo and many others. The pieces ranged from surreal humor and meta-comedy, to blunt realism and the emotionally epic. We were awestruck by the some of the agencies that were represented. Words cannot express how honored we were to be competing at the same level."

Crown Chimp Productions was commissioned by Brute adidas and Novuss Media, on behalf of Henry Cejudo, to produce the commercial. "Six Minutes", a web commercial that features the Olympic gold medalist and his signature-adidas wrestling shoe, successfully delivers a very profound message.

"We shot "Six Minutes" with Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, the youngest American wrestler to ever bring home an Olympic gold medal. Cejudo is an amazing athlete, and overall an incredible human being. On the surface, the piece is about how athletes will spend countless hours training for the smallest window of competition. The core message of the piece is ultimately a story of sacrifice. "Six Minutes" was deeply personal to me, and I am incredibly honored that Crown Chimp to was able to give back to the sport of wrestling."

The ADDY Awards receives over 60,000 entries each year, with roughly 1% making it to the national level. It is the largest, and arguably the toughest, advertising competition in the world. The American Advertising Federation (AAF), a non-profit industry association organizes the competition. It is the only creative awards program overseen by the advertising industry for the well being of advertising.

About Crown Chimp Productions:
Crown Chimp Productions is a creative collective of up-and-coming filmmakers and artists. Through extreme passion and dedication, innovation and raw talent, Crown Chimp is able to craft a product that is both highly artistic and strongly marketable. They are driven by small-scale ingenuity with large-scale results. This blue-collar approach to artistic work has earned Crown Chimp clients and award recognition at the local, national and international levels.

About Henry Cejudo:
Henry Cejudo is a freestyle wrestler who won a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At twenty-one years old, Henry became the youngest American ever to have won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling. Henry was born in Los Angeles and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
 Beat-The-Streets Summer Camp Wrestling Program

Through the generosity of the Donors & Beat-the-Streets Inc., an intensive four day wrestling camp will be offered at Sullivan Community College for all Beat the Streets Wrestlers.
The Camp will also be opened to all New York State, New Jersey and Connecticut wrestlers ages 10 through 17…
The Cost for the Camp is $350 for all wrestlers outside of the Beat the Streets Program….to help cover the actual costs of the camp.

Beat -The - Streets Wrestling Camp Now available to NY-NJ & CT. Wrestlers at reduced price of $350 per wrestler


Sullivan County Community College- Loch Sheldrake, New York
August 9th -13th 2010
Monday August 9th through Friday, August 13th
The emphasis of this camp will be on wrestling technique, mat strategy, and development of both the mind and body.
Transportation to, and from Sullivan County Community College can be provided at a small fee.
Graduating seniors are not eligible.
Please mail all applications and send a check for $350 made payable to Beat-the-Streets.
Mail To: Beat-the-Streets, 145 Thompson Avenue, New York, New York 10012
Larry A. Cantor
Coordinator, Beat-the-Streets Wrestling Camps
For more information- (212) 777-5702
The American Immigration Council Honors Olympic Gold Medalist Henry Cejudo's Mother

Phoenix, AZ - June 16, 2010 - The American Immigration Council recently announced that they will honor Nelly Rico, mother of Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, at their annual benefit on Friday, July 2nd, 2010 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Maryland. Cejudo has the honor of presenting the council's coveted American Heritage Award to his mother.

According to Nelly Rico's son, <http://www.henrycejudo.com>Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, "Words cannot express how honored I am to present my mother with the American Heritage Award. It's such an amazing honor. Last year the award was presented to Carlos Santana. This year the award goes to my mother, and in my eyes, no one is more deserving. My mom is an amazing woman. She has influenced and encouraged me my entire life. She is my hero."

The American Heritage Award (also referred to as the Immigrant Achievement Award) is presented to individual immigrants for their outstanding accomplishments and unique contributions to the United States. The criteria range from meaningful endeavors such as providing a loving and stable home for children to courageous acts that have changed our nation's history.

Cejudo went on to say, "This is a very significant award. It represents the positive side of immigration by showcasing noteworthy contributions that immigrants have made to our society. The award honors immigrants, like my mother, who came to the United States to build a better life and to give her children access to opportunities that only America has to offer. I am so grateful for the sacrifices that my mother made for our family, without them I would not be the man that I am today. I am a proud American citizen but I am also the proud son of Mexican immigrants."

The American Immigration Council's annual benefit is the council's largest event. The national event is held in conjunction with the American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA) annual conference. The 2010 Annual Benefit, American Heritage Awards to Honor Outstanding Women, will honor Nelly Rico, along with Ms. Rebecca Cammisa, director and producer of the Oscar nominated documentary "Which Way Home" and Ms. Loula Loi Alafyoiannis, founder and president of the Euro-American Women's Council. Special guests for the evening are Cokie and Steve Roberts, who will serve as masters of ceremonies.

About the American Immigration Council:
The American Immigration Council (formerly the American Immigration Law Foundation) was established in 1987 as an IRS designated 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, not-for-profit educational, charitable organization. The mission of the American Immigration Council is to strengthen America by honoring our immigrant history and shaping how Americans think and act towards immigration now and in the future. The American Immigration Council exists to promote the prosperity and cultural richness of our diverse nation and continues to work tirelessly to achieve justice and fairness for immigrants under the law.

About Nelly Rico:
An undocumented immigrant from Mexico, Ms. Nelly Rico entered the United States to find a better life. Over the next several decades, she would work multiple jobs in order to provide for her family of seven children. Ultimately, she would do much more than provide - she would give her family the resources and encouragement to thrive. Raising four sons, three daughters, and more than one wrestling champ, including Henry Cejudo, the youngest American wrestler to ever bring home Olympic gold. Nelly Rico is now a proud lawful permanent resident of the United States.

About Henry Cejudo:
Henry Cejudo is a freestyle wrestler who won a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At twenty-one years old, he was the youngest American ever to have won an Olympic wrestling gold medal. Henry was born in Los Angeles and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona. For additional information on Henry Cejudo, please visit www.henrycejudo.com. We also encourage fans to follow Henry on Twitter, Facebook and <http://www.Youtube/HenryCejudo>You Tube.
Passing of a Wrestling Great

Good Morning,

Edwin "Ed" Peery passed away on Wednesday June 15th at 2:30 p.m. at his home. A Memorial Service will be held at the Naval Academy. Details will follow. Listed below are names and addresses if you would like to send a card to the family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Peery Family. Ed, Rest in Piece.

Mrs. Edwin Peery
780 Crandell Rd.
West River, MD 20778

Brother:
Mr. Hugh Peery
4529 Hermitage Ct.
Allison Park, PA 15101

Sister:
Mrs. Ann Peery Ritter
2204 Battenkill Ln
Gibsonia, PA 15044

Legendary Navy Wrestling Coach Ed Peery Passes Away At The Age Of 75

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Navy's all-time winningest wrestling coach, Ed Peery, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 75.

Peery, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980, compiled a career record of 311-90-14 in his 27 years at the Naval Academy and won eight EIWA Championships. He was named the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1968 and the Eastern Coach of the Year in 1986. He had a career record of 22-2-3 against rival Army.

Peery coach 48 EIWA individual champions and 28 All-Americans, including Dan Muthler, who was the National Champion at 142 pounds in 1973, and John Reich, who is the only three-time All-American in school history (1980-82-83). Peery also had a wrestler in the Olympics as Lloyd Keaser (149.5) won a silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Tom Shuler was an alternate that same year at 125.5 pounds.

Peery's best squad at Navy might have been his 1968 team, which finished fifth at the NCAA Championship. John Kent finished second that year at 152 pounds, while Pete Vanderlofske finished third at 137 pounds.

After retiring as a coach at the end of the 1987 season, Peery remained at the Naval Academy serving as a long-time professor in the Physical Education Department. He retired in 1999 after 40 years of service.

A native of Stillwater, Okla., Peery attended Shaler High School in Pittsburgh, where his father, Rex, was the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He lettered in both football and wrestling, winning two Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association titles in wrestling. Under his father at Pitt, Peery developed into one of the greatest wrestlers in Panther history. Like his dad and brother, Hugh, Peery was a three-time NCAA Champion, won EIWA crowns at 123 and 130 pounds and was voted Outstanding Wrestler an the Eastern Tournament in 1957. He finished his career at Pitt with a record of 51-1 and was an alternate on the 1956 Olympic team.

Following his graduation from Pitt in 1958 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, Peery served for two seasons as freshman coach at his alma mater. He came to the Navy staff as an assistant to Ray Swartz in 1959 and, one year later, took over the head coaching duties when Swartz retired.

Peery is survived by his wife, Gretchen, daughter Martie and son Greg. Funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as they are available.
This Week TDR LIVE at the 2010 World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Wrestling Fans this week we take the Brute adidas studios on the road to Council Bluffs Iowa for the 2010 World Team Trials. Kemin Agrifoods is proud to present this special broadcast. Who will rise above their college marks and win a spot on the World Team and contest on behalf of Team USA? You should be there at the Mid America Center.

Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Ryan Freeman and guests as we bring to you the flavor of this important event.

TDR Radio/Video Program
                  Show- 9 to 11 AM CST Takedownradio.com, AM 1460 KXNO,
                   Supertalk 1570,  Livesportsvideo.com

Live Event Sessions may be watched on TheMat.com

Friday        Session 1    9:00 AM
                 Session 2    5:00 PM

Saturday Session 3    9:00 AM   
                 Session 4    5:00 PM

Wrestling fans- Episode 61 of TDR TV wrestling news is now on. Check TV Guide for listings.  

TDR and TDR TV.         Now It's appointment Radio and TV! 
TDR on Internet:          You can join us Saturday mornings at Takedownradio.com
TDR on Radio:             LIVE Saturday at 9:00 AM CST on 1460 KXNO in Iowa.
                                   Delayed Saturday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, 
TDR TV:                       Mediacom Cable Systems Channel 22 in 6 Midwestern states.
TDR TV On Internet:     Over 30 Different sites now carry your favorite wrestling news show

Thanks to our affiliates, our media partners and friends at Livesportsvideo.com.
Thanks for watching and listening!
  Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour Travels to Texas

Olympic and World Cup Wrestler, New Menlo Collage Coach to Lead Clinic in Arlington

BOULDER, Colo. - May 17, 2010
Who: Marcie Van Dusen, one of only four women to represent the USA in the Beijing Olympics, current coach of the California USA Wrestling women's team, and new women's wrestling coach at Menlo College in Atherton, CA. 2008 U.S. Champion Randi Miller will join Ms. Van Dusen for the event.
What: The Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour, sponsored by Arno Niemand, USA Wrestling's Women's National Team sponsor, and Body Bar Inc, proud sponsor for seven years.  The event will take place during the 2010 Texas Freestyle and Greco Women's State Tournament.

Raffle prizes include Body Bar® and workout DVD
Special clinic prices on Body Bar® supplies.
Free shipping within 30 days of meet
Limited Edition 2010 clinic tee shirt
Open to anyone with a USA Wrestling card

Date: Sunday May 23rd, 2010

Time: 3 - 4 p.m.

Location: University of Texas, 17 South Nedderman Drive in Arlington, TX

For more info: Jackie Martin, jmartin@skinceuticals.com, 972.926.2957

About Arno Niemand
Mr. Niemand is a 1956 graduate of Cornell, where he was on the wrestling team. He was later inducted into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. He went on to earn his MBA in 1958 from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia. Throughout his life, Mr. Niemand has continued to support the sport of wrestling, and in 2008 received the FILA Gold Star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. In 2009, he inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, earning the Order of Merit. 

As previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc., Niemand has sponsored the USA Wrestling Women's National Team since 2003.

Follow women's wrestling activities on www.usawrestlingnation.com and www.themat.com.

About Body Bar® Inc.
Founded in 1987, Body Bar® Inc. provides the infinite workouts and solid educational tools that fitness enthusiasts of all ages and abilities still choose after 23 years - because they work.  The company has created a strong presence through the original weighted fitness bar, The Body Bar®, and the extensive "Master Your Body" DVD series of workout programs. Body Bar®, Inc. provides quality products and innovative educational tools with a commitment to changing lives worldwide through functional fitness. We consider passion, integrity and fun to be essential elements of our content and community. Body Bar® Inc. is a sponsor of the USA Women's Wrestling team and sponsors several wrestling tournaments throughout the U.S. 

Body Bar products can be purchased online through www.bodybar.com 1-800-500-2030. Join Body Bar Inc. on Facebook and Twitter.
###
Body Bar is a registered trademark of Body Bar Inc. Body Bar Flex is a trademark of Body Bar Inc.


Note to editors: To set up an interview with Ms. VanDusen during the event, please contact Marilyn Kroner, marilyn@kronercommunications.com.
Metcalf Beats Jenkins in Main Event of Beat the Streets Gala

Metcalf beats Jenkins in Main Event of Beat the Streets Gala wrestling bout card
By Gary Abbott USA Wrestling

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Brent Metcalf (Davison, Mich./New York AC) won a first-period clinch from defense, then opened up his offense in the second period to score a technical fall over Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./Sunkist Kids) in the Main Event of the seven-match card of wrestling bouts during the 2010 Beat the Streets Gala on Thursday, May 13.

The event will be held outdoors on the flight deck on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier which is docked on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. Thousands of wrestling fans packed the area around the mat, with the city skyline in the background.

Each year, the Beat the Streets Gala is held to celebrate wrestling and raise funds for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc., the successful program which has provided wrestling opportunities for thousands of middle school and high school students in New York City.

"We have raised over $900,000 tonight," said Mike Novogratz, organizer of the event and the U.S. Freestyle World Team Leader. "All of the money will go to send kids to camp and to support our coaches."

Metcalf, from the Univ. of Iowa, met Bubba Jenkins, then at Penn State, four times in college, winning each time. Included was a victory in the 2008 NCAA finals. Metcalf's college career has ended with two NCAA titles and a runner-up finish. Jenkins will be a senior next year at Arizona State.

It was the first time that Metcalf and Jenkins met in freestyle. Both have great freestyle backgrounds. Metcalf was a 2009 U.S. Open runner-up, and Jenkins was a 2007 Junior World Champion.

The first period was scoreless, and Jenkins won the ball pull and grabbed the leg on the clinch. Jenkins tried to get Metcalf down to the mat, but Metcalf scored a two-point counter crotch lift to win the period, 2-0.

The second period, Metcalf was in control more, scoring a takedown early, earning some exposure points, and winning by a 6-0 technical fall.

It was the final bout of a seven-match card, which included middle school and high school matches featuring New York City youth wrestlers, then also featured all three international styles.

Two members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic freestyle team won matches, Ben Askren (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Andy Hrovat (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Askren defeated Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), 2-0, 9-2. Askren had some amazing counters to come out with the first-period win, then was able to open up his offense in the second period for a technical fall.

Hrovat needed three periods to defeat Kyle Cerminara (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC), 0-5, 2-1, 7-1. Cerminara won the upperbody positions to dominate the opening period, but Hrovat edged him in the second period to force a deciding third period. Hrovat was able to score exposure points from the mat to score a technical fall to win the match.

Perhaps the wildest match of the night was in Greco-Roman, when Ellis Coleman (Oak Park, Ill./New York AC) edged 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./New York AC) in three periods, 5-3, 1-6, 2-1. Coleman won the first period on a five-point throw. Mango won the second period with two three-point throws. With Mango holding the edge in a 1-1 tie late in the third period, Coleman used a gymnastic twist move to score the winning takedown point to beat Mango. The athletes normally compete at different weight classes, with Coleman at 66 kg and Mango at 55 kg.

The women's freestyle match ended in an exciting manner, when Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) suddenly pinned Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). Campbell won the first period 1-0, and was in on a shot in the second period when Jaynes countered for exposure and the fall.

The evening began with a pair of folkstyle matches featuring New York City talent. The Middle School match at 135 pounds went to Will Wilson of the Lions WC of Staten Island, who beat Shateek Palmer of Roosevelt Island Middle School in Manhattan. In the High School bout at 150 pounds, Jorge Jimenez of Herbert Lehman High School in the Bronx defeated Andre Antoine of Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.

This is the seventh Beat the Streets Gala event, which have all been successful fundraisers for New York City wrestling. It was the first time that there was a wrestling card included with the event.

BEAT THE STREETS GALA
Battle on the Intrepid
At New York, N.Y., May 13, 2010

Middle School 135 lbs. -Will Wilson dec. Shateek Palmer
High School 150 lbs. - Jorge Jimenez dec. Andre Antoine
Women's freestyle 59 kg - Leigh Jaynes pin Kelsey Campbell, 0-1, 0:41
Greco-Roman 66 kg -Ellis Coleman dec. Spenser Mango, 5-3, 1-6, 2-1
Men's freestyle 74 kg - Ben Askren dec. Moza Fay, 2-0, 9-2
Men's freestyle 96 kg - Andy Hrovat dec. Kyle Cerminara, 0-5, 2-1, 7-1

MAIN EVENT - Men's freestyle 66 kg - Brent Metcalf dec. Bubba Jenkins, 2-0, 6-0
New Northern Iowa Wrestling Coach

The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum has a busy week in store, highlighted by a special reception for the new Northern Iowa Wrestling Coach. The Gable Museum will host a gathering at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 13. Doug Schwab, a former University of Iowa NCAA champion, is reportedly the next head wrestling coach at UNI. The event is free and open to the public.

"We want to have a large turnout at the Gable Museum to show our support for the program -- and to show our new coach and athletic director that we are serious about wrestling at UNI," said Ty Kimble, president of the UNI Wrestling Booster Club. "Let's get this thing started off with a bang and moving in the right direction from day one."

A native of Osage, Iowa, Schwab was a 2008 Olympian and a three-time All-American. He is currently an assistant coach at the University of Iowa.

The Gable Museum will also host all the weigh-ins for the Northern Plains Regional, a last chance qualifier for the World Team Trials held in Council Bluffs, Iowa, next month. The wrestling tournament will be held at Young Arena on May 14-15.
Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour Heads to Florida

Olympic and World Cup Wrestler, New Menlo Collage Coach to Lead Clinic in Kissimmee During 2010 Body Bar Women's National Championships

BOULDER, Colo. - May 10, 2010
Who: Marcie Van Dusen, one of only four women to represent the USA in the Beijing Olympics, current coach of the California USA Wrestling women's team, and newly-named women's wrestling coach at Menlo College in Atherton, CA. 

What: The Marcie Van Dusen Women's Wrestling Technique Tour, presented by Arno P. Niemand and Body Bar, Inc.

World Champion and Olympic Team Wrestler Marcie Van Dusen will conduct a women's wrestling technique clinic sponsored by USA Wrestling's Women's National Team sponsor Arno Niemand and Body Bar Inc., proud sponsors for seven years.

Raffle prizes include Body Bar® and workout DVD
Special clinic prices on Body Bar® supplies
Free shipping within 30 days of meet
Limited Edition 2010 clinic tee shirt
Open to anyone with a USA Wrestling card

Date: Saturday, May15th, 2010

Time: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Location: Osceola Heritage Park - Silver Spurs Arena, Exhibition Hall, 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744

For more info: Robert Kamperman, info@fawa.us, 877-USA-FAWA (872-3292)

About Arno Niemand
Mr. Niemand is a 1956 graduate of Cornell, where he was on the wrestling team. He was later inducted into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. He went on to earn his MBA in 1958 from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia. Throughout his life, Mr. Niemand has continued to support the sport of wrestling, and in 2008 received the FILA Gold Star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. In 2009, he inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, earning the Order of Merit. 

As previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc., Niemand has sponsored the USA Wrestling Women's National Team since 2003.

Follow women's wrestling activities on www.usawrestlingnation.com and www.themat.com.

About Body Bar® Inc.
Founded in 1987, Body Bar® Inc. provides the infinite workouts and solid educational tools that fitness enthusiasts of all ages and abilities still choose after 23 years - because they work. The company has created a strong presence through the original weighted fitness bar, The Body Bar®, and the extensive "Master Your Body" DVD series of workout programs. Body Bar®, Inc. provides quality products and innovative educational tools with a commitment to changing lives worldwide through functional fitness. We consider passion, integrity and fun to be essential elements of our content and community. Body Bar® Inc. is a sponsor of the USA Women's Wrestling team and sponsors several wrestling tournaments throughout the U.S. 

Body Bar products can be purchased online through www.bodybar.com 1-800-500-2030. Join Body Bar Inc. on Facebook and Twitter.
###
Body Bar is a registered trademark of Body Bar Inc. Body Bar Flex is a trademark of Body Bar Inc.


Note to editors: To set up an interview with Ms. VanDusen during the event, please contact Marilyn Kroner, marilyn@kronercommunications.com.
Van Dusen to Strengthen Women's Wrestling as Intercollegiate's First Female Coach

Body Bar Inc. and Niemand-Sponsored Olympian to Coach at Menlo College

BOULDER, Colo. - May 6, 2010 - Arno Niemand, longtime proponent of women's wresting and former owner of Body Bar Inc., said today that on April 19th Menlo College in Atherton CA announced that world champion and Olympic wrestler Marcie Van Dusen has been named head coach of its women's wrestling team, replacing retiring head coach and wrestling legend Lee Allen. Ms. Van Dusen is only the second head coach in program history, and Menlo's is the first intercollegiate wrestling program to hire a female head coach. Mr. Niemand has sponsored Ms. Van Dusen since the final preparations began for the Beijing Olympics in early 2008, and will continue his sponsorship thorough 2010.

A 2008 Olympian, Ms. Van Dusen will continue to lead the U.S. Women's Wrestling Technique Tour, sponsored by Mr. Niemand.  Niemand's former company, Body Bar Inc. will support this sponsorship by providing Body Bar products throughout the year.   

Van Dusen was one of only four women to represent the USA in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Now the former World Champion and Olympic wrestler has begun a coaching career. 

"It has always been my dream to be the head coach of a women's wrestling program," said Van Dusen. "I am thankful to the Menlo College administration for allowing me this opportunity. I am completely dedicated to this program's success, and I will put everything I have into the program to make sure it flourishes."

"I have a wonderful support system, I could not be more thankful to Mr. Niemand of Body Bar Inc.," added Van Dusen. "He has taken time to share his knowledge and experience with me over the past few years, and that is truly priceless."

"I have great admiration for Lee Allen and all he has done for women's wrestling," commented Arno Niemand, strong supporter of women's wresting and previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc. "Menlo College has certainly made the right choice by succeeding Lee with Marcie, who will surely bring her individual style and strength to their fine program."

Mr. Niemand, a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, recently stepped down from his position with Body Bar Inc. but has continued his support of USA Wrestling.

Women's Wrestling Technique Tour
Following is the remaining schedule for Ms. Van Dusen's clinics. Additional dates are expected to be added once confirmed.
May 15             Kissimmee, FL
May 23             Arlington, TX
July 19             Fargo, ND

About Arno Niemand
Mr. Niemand is a 1956 graduate of Cornell, where he was on the wrestling team. He was later inducted into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. He went on to earn his MBA in 1958 from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia. Throughout his life, Mr. Niemand has continued to support the sport of wrestling, and in 2008 received the FILA Gold Star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. In 2009, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, earning the Order of Merit. 

As previous owner and chairman of Body Bar Inc., Niemand has sponsored the USA Wrestling Women's National Team since 2003.
Caldwell vs. Metcalf is the Main Event for Beat the Streets Gala on USS Intreprid in New York City, May 13

A rematch of top rivals Darrion Caldwell and Brent Metcalf is the Main Event of a seven-match card of wrestling bouts which will be showcased during the 2010 Beat the Streets Gala on Thursday, May 13.

The event will be held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier which is docked on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. It is part of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It is being billed as the Battle on the Intrepid, in recognition of "wrestlers in the nation's service." The competition is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Each year, the Beat the Streets Gala is held to celebrate wrestling and raise funds for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc., the successful program which has provided wrestling opportunities for thousands of middle school and high school students in New York City.

Caldwell and Metcalf are among the top hopefuls for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in men's freestyle wrestling at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Both are pursuing their Olympic dreams, and have continued a rivalry which began during their college careers.

Caldwell is a student at North Carolina State University, where he will be a senior next season. He was an NCAA champion in 2009, and was named Outstanding Wrestler. He was also fifth at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Caldwell missed the 2010 college season due to a shoulder surgery, and he will return next year for his final college season.

Metcalf recently completed his college career at the Univ. of Iowa, where he was a two-time NCAA champion (2008, 2010) and a 2009 NCAA runner-up. Metcalf started his career at Virginia Tech and lost one year of eligibility when he transferred to Iowa. He completed his college career with a 108-3 record, and was the 2008 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation's best college wrestler.

Caldwell and Metcalf met each other three times in college:

The first meeting was on November 24, 2007 at the St. Edward Duals in Lakewood, Ohio, where Caldwell pinned Metcalf in 1:40

The second meeting was on November 24, 2008 at the NWCA All-Star Classic in Columbus, Ohio, where Metcalf scored a 19-3 technical fall over Caldwell in 6:20. Bouts in the NWCA All-Star Classic do not appear in official NCAA statistics.

Their third meeting was on March 21, 2009 in the finals of the NCAA Div. I Championships in St. Louis, Mo., where Caldwell defeated Metcalf, 11-6.

Caldwell has a strong local angle, as he grew up in nearby Rahway, N.J., where he won three state high school titles. Metcalf is originally from Davison, Mich., where he was a four-time state champion and six-time Junior Nationals champion.

Caldwell competes for the Sunkist Kids, while Metcalf is a member of the New York Athletic Club. In freestyle, Caldwell was third in the 2009 World Team Trials. Metcalf was a 2009 U.S. Open runner-up, and a member of the 2006 U.S. Junior World Team.

The bout card of the Beat the Streets Gala will include matches in all three Olympic styles (men's freestyle, Greco-Roman, women's freestyle), featuring top Olympic hopefuls from across the nation. In addition, there will be one match featuring New York City Middle School wrestlers and one match featuring New York City High School wrestlers.

There are two other men's freestyle matches on the card.

Competing at 74 kg/163 lbs. will be 2008 Olympian Ben Askren (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) who will face Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC). Askren was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time finalist for the Univ. of Missouri. He was a 2008 U.S. Open champion. Fay, a two-time All-American for Northern Iowa, recently placed fourth at the 2010 U.S. Open.

2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert (Evanston, Ill./New York AC) will be featured in a bout at 84 kg/185 lbs., where he will face David Bertolino (Colorado Springs, Colo./Club). Herbert was a two-time NCAA champion for Northwestern (2007, 2009), and has won the U.S. Open in freestyle the last two years. Bertolino starred at Iowa State while in college, and recently placed third at the 2010 U.S. Open.

The Greco-Roman bout will feature 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./New York AC) who will battle talented young Ellis Coleman (Oak Park, Ill./New York AC). Mango is currently competing at 55 kg/121 lbs., while Coleman wrestles normally at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Mango was also a member of the 2009 U.S. World Team, and has won U.S. Open titles in 2008 and 2010. Coleman most recently placed fourth at the 2010 U.S. Open. Mango attends Northern Michigan Univ. where he is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education program.

The women's bout will feature 2007 U.S. World Team member Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), who will battle two-time U.S. Open champion Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs. Jaynes was a U.S. Open champion in 2007, while Campbell has won the U.S. Open the last two years. Jaynes competed at Missouri Valley College, and has a local connection as she attended Rancocas Valley High School in New Jersey. Campbell wrestled for Arizona State Univ.

The High School match will be a rematch between sophomore Jorge Jiminez of Herbert Lehman High School in the Bronx and senior Andrew Murano of Xavier High School in Manhattan. Jiminez is a two-time PSAL champion. Murano was a runner-up in the Catholic State Championships. Murano won the Dave Ironman Invitational with a win over Jiminez. In the Mayor's Cup, Jiminez came back and beat Murano in the finals.

The Middle School match will feature City Champion Will Wilson of the Lions Wrestling Club on Staten Island against three-time City Champion Shateek Palmer of Roosevelt Island Middle School in Manhattan.

Registration for the Beat the Streets Gala will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Battle on the Intrepid from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Cocktails will be served from 7:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards presentation starting at 8:15 p.m. All participants will disembark from the U.S.S. Intrepid at 11:00 p.m.

There will be a live musical performance by The Lost Trailers at the function.

The minimum donation to support Beat the Streets and reserve admission to the Gala is $150. There are a many number of other levels of contributions available to those who wish to join the excitement and support this worthy cause.

For further information about the event, please visit the website at www.beat-the-streets.org or you may contact Brian Giffin via email at BGiffin@beat-the-streets.org or via phone at 212-777-5702.

Media seeking to cover the event should contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-659-9637 or via email at gabbott@usawrestling.org

BEAT THE STREETS GALA

Wrestlers in the Nation's Service

Battle on the Intrepid

On the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York, N.Y., May 13

MAIN EVENT - Men's freestyle - Darrion Caldwell vs. Brent Metcalf

UNDERCARD

Middle School - Shateek Palmer vs. Will Wilson

High School - Andrew Murano vs. Jorge Jimenez

Women's freestyle - Leigh Jaynes vs. Kelsey Campbell

Greco-Roman - Spenser Mango vs. Ellis Coleman

Men's freestyle - Ben Askren vs. Moza Fay

Men's freestyle - Jake Herbert vs. David Bertolino
California College Wrestling Programs in Crisis - You Can Help!

Once again- the ongoing tragedy for Collegiate Wrestling in the State of California is that the sport seems to be systematically targeted for elimination by the C.S.U. (California State University) and U.C. ( University of California ) bureaucracies. In spite of the fact that there are over 27,000+ high school wrestlers in the State - and also being the 6th most popular high school sport in California. Also boasts one of the highest minority participation rates of any sport in the state- the California State Chancellors and California Boards of Regents offices continue to allow wrestling as "the sport to be cut" time & again!

IN 1980 - there were close to over 30 California State College and University wrestling programs. Now the list has been whittled away down to 5 !! ( Including private Universities Stanford and Menlo College there are only 7 programs left in the state) With UC Davis and Cal State Bakersfield recently announcing the elimination of their respective wrestling programs- there will only be 3 state sponsored programs left!  (Cal-Poly, San Francisco State and Cal- Fullerton- who only recently saved their program through an aggressive fund raising effort!- are the "surviving" programs)

Questions have been repeatedly asked of the respective schools leaders as to the real reasons why California Collegiate wrestling programs are cut- but clear answers seem very hard to come by. In my opinion it is discrimination against our minority student/athletes.  Our message to them is "Cut the Fat - not the Student/Athletes" and "Provide Equal Opportunity for minority and lower income student athletes." More information at our site:  www.SaveUCDavisWrestling.com

UC Davis wrestling has produced the schools first & only NCAA- Division I champion in their history ( 2007 NCAA Champion Derek Moore). Has had some of the largest crowds attend their events on campus- not to mention the second highest fundraising pool in the school only behind the football program- So- what rationale did UC Davis ever have to eliminate their wrestling program? Wrestling is the highest achieving team at the University since they moved to Division 1 three years ago.

Wrestling supporters in California ask for their fellow wrestling "kin" around the nation to come together in a loud voice and  please help protest these tragic and unreasonable decisions to eliminate two flagship wrestling programs.  Please voice your support of California Collegiate Wrestling by placing call to the following people and urging that they immediately restore the UC Davis & Cal State Bakersfield wrestling programs in order to help support many of those 27,000+ California High School wrestlers that wish to also attend a California State College or University & compete in their chosen sport !! :  Equal Opportunity for all student/athletes.

More information with specific details can be found at:  www.SaveUCDavisWrestling.com
Appropriate Dress for Weigh-ins Addressed in High School Wrestling

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 23, 2010) - A revision in the appropriate dress for weigh-ins in high school wrestling was among four rules changes approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 5-7 meeting in Indianapolis. The changes, which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors, will take effect with the 2010-11 season.

"The committee felt the need to make very few changes because the sport of high school wrestling is in good shape," said Dale Pleimann, former assistant executive director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association and chair of the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee. "Two of the changes deal with minimizing risk, one deals with privacy issues and the other change was clean-up in a mechanics procedure instituted last year."

Regarding weigh-ins, previously both male and female contestants had to weigh in wearing "no more than a suitable undergarment." Beginning next year, specific language has been added regarding what constitutes a "suitable undergarment." Male and female contestants will be required to wear a suitable undergarment that completely covers the buttocks and the groin area. In addition, for female contestants the suitable undergarment must also cover the breasts.

Bob Colgate, assistant director of the NFHS and committee liaison, said the change was made to consider privacy issues for all individuals involved with weigh-ins.

The committee also addressed the process for an offensive wrestler assuming a legal starting position. The following statement has been added to Rule 5-20-9:

"Once the offensive wrestler has assumed a legal starting position and is stationary, the referee shall verbally say 'set' and then pause momentarily before starting wrestling."

"This rule change will eliminate either wrestler gaining an advantage by using a rolling start," Colgate said. "It also eliminates the need for the offensive wrestler using a specific sequence when assuming a legal starting position, including the optional offensive starting position."

Effective with the 2010-11 high school wrestling season, any contestant who shows signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion shall be removed immediately from the match and shall not return to competition until cleared by an appropriate health-care professional.

The previous rule directed officials to remove an athlete from competition if "apparently unconscious." The previous rule also allowed for return to competition based on written authorization by a medical doctor.

"Given that the vast majority of concussions do not include a loss of consciousness, but that athletes often show obvious evidence of concussion, the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) strongly believes that referees must continue to be empowered to remove these athletes from competition, thus protecting them from further injury," said Dr. Michael Koester, chair of the SMAC. "Continued participation in any sport following a concussion can lead to worsening concussion symptoms, as well as increased risk for further injury to the brain and even death.

"The safety of the athlete is of paramount concern during any athletic contest. Referees, coaches and administrators are being asked to make all efforts at ensuring that concussed athletes do not continue to participate. Thus, coaches, wrestlers and administrators should also be looking for signs of concussion in all wrestlers and should immediately remove any suspected concussed wrestler from competition."

In addition to wrestling, the new concussion language is being placed in all NFHS rules books for the 2010-11 season, as well as the "NFHS Suggested Guidelines for Management of Concussion."

The Wrestling Rules Committee also added the "rear-standing, double-knee kickback" to the list of illegal maneuvers. Colgate said this maneuver, which is being used more frequently at the high school level, clearly puts the opposing wrestler in a dangerous situation and at a high risk for injury.

Perhaps as significant as the changes approved by the committee was one that was not. After much discussion, the committee voted against changing the wrestling weight classes and will stay with the 14 weight classes currently in place in the NFHS Wrestling Rules Book. Three proposals were considered by the committee this year on changing the wrestling weight classes.

"The response from member state associations was divided equally between Option B and making no change," Pleimann said. "The committee, with no clear choice from the membership, did not believe it was appropriate to make a change in the weight classes just for the sake of change. However, the committee did request the NFHS to conduct another survey on wrestling weight classes during the 2010-11 season."

Three "Points of Emphasis" were issued by the committee for the 2010-11 high school wrestling season: Concussion Recognition and Management, Communicable Disease and Fleeing the Mat.
Wrestling is the sixth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level with 267,378 participants in 10,254 schools during the 2008-09 season, according to the NFHS Athletics Participation Survey. In addition, 6,025 girls were involved in wrestling in 1,034 high schools.

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and fine arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and fine arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and Rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing Rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.5 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; produces publications for high school coaches, officials and athletic directors; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, spirit coaches, speech and debate coaches and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.


MEDIA CONTACTS: Bruce Howard or John Gillis, 317-972-6900
National Federation of State High School Associations
PO Box 690, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
bhoward@nfhs.org or jgillis@nfhs.org
Save UC Davis Wrestling

Dear Wrestling Supporters,

It is with great regret that I write to inform you that UC Davis Athletic Director Greg Warzecka has announced the discontinuation of wrestling at UC Davis.  This came as a shock to our student-athletes, staff, and especially myself.

I was told last fall that no matter what may come to be, football and wrestling were safe at UC Davis.  As a program, we have had the second highest fund-raising numbers (behind football) the last three years, (averaging $65,000/year), the highest alumni/donor support, and one of the most profitable per contest gate of any sports.  Each of these criteria were suppose to be examined when determining which programs to retain.

The problem is both a monetary issue and a Title IX issue.  Since the official announcement, I have had numerous calls from people that are adamant about combatting both ends.  Financially, several key UC Davis Wrestling supporters are already inquiring about the dollar amount needed to reinstate the program.  On the political front, National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) President Mike Moyer has already stated that the NWCA will not allow this decision to stand.  These are both encouraging thoughts, but alone they will not be able to reverse the decision.

I expect there to be quite a backlash from the California wrestling community, as well as the national wrestling community, in the weeks to come.  If you would like your voice to be heard, please take the time to mail, phone and e-mail the individuals listed below.  Thanks again for your ongoing support. Coach ZaleskyHead Wrestling CoachUC Davis